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– Alejandro Mallorca
The United States is considering adding four countries to the category that allows its citizens to travel for up to 90 days in the country without requiring visas. One of these countries is Bulgaria.
Reuters quoted Interior Minister Alejandro Mayorkas as saying that “we have four countries to decide on: Israel, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania.” At a travel industry event, he added that “we are very, very focused on the program” for visa-free entry into the United States, which brings significant benefits to the economy and security.
Croatia was included in the program in September (actually from December 1st) and now Roger Dow, executive director of the American Travel Association, says it has already brought in $ 100 million to the US economy. “Every time you add one of these countries, travel literally erupts,” he added.
Reuters recalls that in February – shortly after his appointment – Mallorca spoke with the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, and “the two expressed continuing interest in maintaining the agreement to register the names of travelers and work with Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. to meet the criteria of the visa – free program “.
In addition to the condition that the share of denied visa applications in a country be permanently below 3%, it must also meet requirements related to the fight against terrorism, law enforcement, immigration control, document security and effective border management.
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