By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON () – The Trump administration announced on Friday that it was removing Romania from the U.S. visa waiver program, which permits visa-free entry into the country, just under four months since the initial announcement stating that it would join the program.
The previous administration under President Joe Biden announced on January 9 that they would be welcoming Romania into the program. They stated that Romania fulfilled strict security criteria, such as forming collaborations with U.S. law enforcement agencies for sharing intelligence related to terrorism and major criminal activities. These updated regulations were set to come into play roughly by March 31.
In late March, the Department of Homeland Security halted implementation to carry out an assessment. This evaluation ultimately determined that revoking the designation was necessary to safeguard the program’s integrity and maintain border and immigration security.
“We appreciate Romania’s strong collaboration over the years in boosting security cooperation. There might be an opportunity to revisit Romania’s eligibility for inclusion in the visa waiver program in the future,” stated Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Romania became the 43rd nation to join the program—and the fourth since Biden took office, following Croatia, Israel, and Qatar. This initiative has resulted in an increase in visitors from participating countries due to the simplified process of entering the U.S.
The Romanian Embassy in Washington did not promptly reply to requests for comments.
In March, the number of international travelers flying into the U.S. dropped by approximately 10%, as reported by official figures.
American citizens can travel to Romania for up to 90 days for leisure or business trips without needing a visa.
(Reported by David Shepardson; Edited by Chris Reese and Rosalba O’Brien)
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