According to Reuters, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the United States is considering adding four countries to its visa waiver program that allows citizens to come to America without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. "We have four candidates in the pipeline: Israel, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania," Mayorkas said on Tuesday at a travel industry event. "We're very, very focused on the program," he added, saying it provides significant economic and security benefits. In September, the United States added Croatia to the visa waiver program. U.S. Travel Association Chief Executive Roger Dow said on Tuesday adding Croatia is a $100 million boost to the U.S. economy. "Each time you add one of these countries, the travel just booms," Dow said. The White House said in August after a meeting between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that Biden emphasized "his administration would strengthen bilateral cooperation with Israel in ways that would benefit both U.S. citizens and Israeli citizens, including by working together towards Israel’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program." Mayorkas also met with Israel's U.S. ambassador in August and discussed the waiver issue. In February, Mayorkas spoke with the European Commission’s Commissioner for Home Affairs and both "expressed their continued interest in maintaining the U.S.-EU Passenger Name Record Agreement and working with Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania to meet the qualifications for the Visa Waiver Program." To participate in the program, a country must meet requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management. There are currently 40 countries in the program. "These requirements include having a rate of nonimmigrant visa refusals below 3%, issuing secure travel documents, and working closely with U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism authorities," DHS said last month.
The famous show "Ovo" ("egg" in Portuguese), created in 2009 by Cirque du Soleil, is scheduled for April 23–26, 2026, at BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca. So far, the classic Cirque du Soleil show has delighted over 7 million spectators in 40 different countries. Despite its age, it has been reimaged, with a new set, acrobatic […]
The state-owned group Electrica is set to list the largest green corporate bond issuance in Romania, worth EUR 500 million, on the Luxembourg and Bucharest stock exchanges. According to the company's press release, the European Investment Bank is one of the key participants in the issuance. Overall investor demand at the final price exceeded the […]
Low-cost airline Wizz Air announced a major expansion of its operations in Bucharest, adding a second aircraft to its base at Băneasa Airport starting this October. The airline will relocate nine routes from Otopeni to Băneasa, five of which will be operated exclusively from the secondary airport. At the same time, six new routes will […]
The annual inflation rate in Romania rose to 5.7% in June, up from 5.45% in May, according to data published on Friday, July 11, by the National Institute of Statistics. It is the highest level this year. The consumer price index, compared to May, was 0.45%. The inflation rate from the beginning of the year, […]
A taxi driver who refused to pick up a passenger at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport on Thursday night, citing the rule that prohibits the second car in line from leaving the queue, was fined and had his professional license suspended, according to the Romanian Police. Local news channel Digi24...
Local authorities in Buzău County, in the south-east of Romania, announced the opening for traffic of the new bridge over the Buzău River on Friday, July 11. At over 1.3 km in length, it is the second-longest road bridge in the country and is part of the Lot 1 Buzău – Vadu Pașii of the […]
