U.S. revokes Romania visa waiver amid security concerns
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the removal of Romania from the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This decision was made just before the presidential elections in Romania and aims to strengthen the "border and immigration security" of the United States.
What you need to know
- The decision to remove Romania from the Visa Waiver Program was announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The department stated that this move aims to ensure border and immigration security.
- Romania was admitted to the Visa Waiver Program by the previous U.S. administration, despite security concerns. The new administration has suspended this status to review it.
- Romania can apply again for participation in the program if it meets the required criteria.
- Maintaining the Visa Waiver Program’s high standards is essential to our national security. In light of this Administration’s focus on border and immigration security, the Secretary of Homeland Security has decided, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to rescind Romania’s VWP designation effective immediately, - stated Tricia McLaughlin, the Deputy Secretary, as quoted in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) communiqué.
The U.S. removed Romania from the Visa Waiver Program
On Friday, just two days before the first round of the repeated presidential elections in Romania, the American DHS announced that the country was removed from the visa waiver program.
The decision by the Romanian Constitutional Court to invalidate the first round of last year's presidential elections, won by the far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, was strongly criticized by representatives of the Trump administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Romania was to be the 43rd member of the program, and its admission was announced 10 days before the end of the previous administration's term. At the time, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Romania had made years-long efforts to meet all the program's requirements.
Romania's admission to the program was to become effective on March 31, when Romanians were to begin submitting electronic travel registration applications through the ESTA system. The new Donald Trump administration suspended Romania's participation in the Visa Waiver Program on March 25 for a "review of the country's admission to the visa waiver program".
In Friday's communiqué, the current government criticized the previous Joe Biden administration for admitting Bucharest to the program "despite security concerns" in the last days before the term ended.
Formally, Romania can apply again for participation in the Visa Waiver Program if it meets the statutory eligibility criteria.
