Romania is approaching a significant milestone in its long-standing efforts to join the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP). After years of working to meet the necessary requirements, Romania has made substantial progress, particularly in areas such as data exchange with US authorities and combating crime.
A key hurdle for Romania has been the visa rejection rate, one of the core criteria for eligibility. To qualify for the VWP, a country's visa rejection rate must fall below three per cent, indicating minimal risk of irregular migration to the US.
Recently, Romanian Ambassador Andrei Muraru announced that Romania had finally reached this threshold. "We are awaiting confirmation from our American partners, but based on this year’s visa applications and the downward trend in recent years, we believe Romania’s rejection rate has dropped below three per cent," he said.
In 2023, the US issued 60,000 visas to Romanian citizens, with rejection rates previously standing at around eight per cent. The recent decline in this figure represents a significant achievement in Romania’s push to secure visa-free travel to the US.