The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, undertook a series of important steps for Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver Program (PVW) of the USA, a program that allows citizens of the included countries to travel without a visa to the United States for a period of up to 90 days, for tourist or business purposes. The program is managed by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in consultation with the State Department.
The program objectives and progress achieved:
Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver program requires the fulfillment of strict criteria related to security, counter-terrorism, information exchange, immigration, travel and identity documents, as well as a rigorous traveler screening process. These criteria are contained in an Action Plan, within which the MAI carried out a series of operations and essential objectives for the realization of PVW.
Among the main operations and objectives achieved by MAI within PVW are:
1. Entering into the Border Security Partnership (EBSP) with the US:
In collaboration with DHS, the MIA has established a partnership that enables the automated exchange of data and information in real time, thus facilitating border checks, crime investigation and crime prevention. The implementation of this partnership involved the design, drafting, negotiation, conclusion of an Implementation Agreement between MIA and DHS in January 2024, becoming operational from September 2024. This partnership provides access to the DHS database, which contains over 285 million identities, making it easier to identify and prevent security threats.
2. Implementation of the Automated Targeting System – Global (ATS-G) program:
MIA adopted the ATS-G program at the level of the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, an advanced tool for the screening of travelers and the detection of persons with a high security risk. This system will allow Romania to more effectively identify and prevent threats to national security, being fully operational from September/October 2024.
3. Strengthening the integrity of the process of issuing travel documents:
MIA has implemented legislative changes in order to limit the issuance of temporary passports and to promote the use of electronic passports, with a higher level of security. Following these changes, the number of applications for temporary passports decreased significantly, helping to meet the security criteria required for access to the PVW.
4. The introduction of biometrics in the process of granting Romanian citizenship:
In collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the MIA implemented the collection of biometric data of applicants for Romanian citizenship and the introduction of a Romanian citizenship card, thus increasing the integrity of the process of granting/reacquiring citizenship.
5. Intensification of police cooperation with the USA:
In order to strengthen the cooperation relationship in the field of law enforcement, the MIA initiated a Memorandum of Cooperation with the American authorities for the creation of a Cross-Border Criminal Investigation Unit, with the aim of combating cross-border crimes and migrant trafficking.
6. Reduction of visa refusal rate:
As part of the government’s campaign to reduce the visa refusal rate, MIA allocated significant resources and developed an efficient scheduling system for its own staff, thus contributing to achieving a refusal rate below 3%, an essential criterion for access to the PVW.
7. Assessment visits and consultations with US authorities:
Romania’s progress in meeting the criteria has been evaluated during several visits and high-level bilateral consultations with representatives of the DHS and the US State Department, the most recent of which took place in June 2024. The next final evaluation is scheduled for the end of October 2024.
The actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs aimed and significantly contributed to the fulfillment of the criteria for Romania’s accession to the US Visa Waiver Program. The actions carried out at the MIA level, as well as the close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the American partners, bring us closer to the moment when Romanian citizens will be able to travel without a visa to the United States.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs remains committed to continuing this process and will maintain dialogue and cooperation with institutional partners in Romania and with American partners to successfully complete Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver Program
