Romanian Government Launches Campaign Urging Citizens to Renew Expired US Visas to Achieve Visa-Free Travel to the United States
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
4 minutes read. Updated 10:00PM GMT Sat, 20July, 2024
In an ambitious bid to facilitate visa-free travel to the United States, the Romanian government has launched a nationwide campaign urging citizens to renew their expired US visas. The initiative, titled “Qualify Romania in the Visa Waiver Program,” is a strategic effort to meet the requirements for joining the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow Romanians to travel to the US without a visa.
The campaign, which was announced on Thursday, will be extensively promoted through various media channels, including television, radio, and online platforms. Romanians whose US visas have expired in the last four years are being encouraged to renew them by September 30th. This push is part of a broader strategy to meet the technical criteria required for the Visa Waiver Program before the end of the US fiscal year 2024.
One of the critical requirements for joining the VWP is achieving a visa refusal rate of less than 3% for B1/B2 visas, which are designated for business and tourism purposes. Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus remain the only EU countries whose citizens still need a visa to enter the United States. The Romanian government is optimistic that this campaign will significantly reduce the refusal rate, thereby paving the way for visa-free travel to the US.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized the importance of mobilizing as many Romanians as possible to participate in the campaign. He believes that achieving the 3% threshold will enable visa-free travel to the US starting next year. “This is a crucial step in our efforts to strengthen Romania’s ties with the United States and provide our citizens with greater mobility,” Ciolacu stated.
Valentin Vătăjelu, the national coordinator for Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver Program, highlighted the significance of this campaign as a “safety net” to ensure that previous efforts are not wasted. “We are very close to meeting the required criteria, and this campaign will help us secure our place in the Visa Waiver Program,” Vătăjelu said.
Recent statements from Romanian Ambassador to the US, Andrei Muraru, indicate that Romania is in the final stages of meeting the VWP admission criteria. Despite a visa refusal rate of over 8% for the last fiscal year, ending October 1, 2023, Muraru expressed optimism that this rate could drop below 3% this year. He noted that the US Embassy has issued a significant number of visas this year, with estimates ranging between 50,000 and 60,000. “We have received a high volume of applications from both private and governmental sectors, and we have a very good chance of meeting the criteria,” Muraru told Agerpres.
This campaign underscores Romania’s commitment to enhancing its international relations and improving travel opportunities for its citizens. As the deadline approaches, the Romanian government is hopeful that its efforts will culminate in the successful inclusion of Romania in the US Visa Waiver Program.
