Romania meets four out of five requirements for the Visa Waiver program, which cannot be negotiated because it requires Congress approval, said Abigail Rupp, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest.

“A this point the Visa Waiver program requires approval from Congress. Romania fulfills four of the five requirements. The last one has not been fulfilled, so it's not something we can negotiate at the embassy. It's something that requires Congress's approval,” Rupp said, according to local Agerpres.

“We will continue to discuss with our partners in Romania and with Congress, and we encourage any Romanian company worried about the Visa Waiver program to contact Congress, through the Embassy or the U.S. partners, because they have authority over this law.”

According to Abigail Rupp, most companies that apply for a visa receive it quickly.

The Romanian American Business Council (RABC), a not-profit organization that represents the interests of the Romanian American community, launched in early 2018 an online petition aiming to convince the US Congress to include Romania in the Visa Waiver Program. This would allow Romanians to travel to the United States without visas.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com