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.
În cautarea paradisului pierdut (In search of the lost paradise), a documentary film looking at the phenomenon of reverse migration from urban to rural areas, will be screened in Bucharest this week. The film highlights the experiences of those who decided to reconfigure their lives and leave the urban environment for the rural one. The […]
The publicly-traded Romanian shipbuilder Orşova Shipyard, BVB ticker symbol SNO, partially owned by Longshield Investment, recently secured two significant contracts with Rensen-Driessen Shipbuilding B.V. from the Netherlands. As per the contracts, the Romanian shipyard will construct and deliver two river vessels with a combined value of EUR 8.58 million. The delivery dates are set for […]
From ancient customs, old beliefs, and folk magic, Romania has come a long way in defining cultural beliefs. Today, many are fascinated by the old beliefs and find inspiration in their heritage and cultural roots. But how does spirituality look in modern Romania and how did it develop through the ages? The Roots of Traditional […]
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a logistical support center in Valencia, eastern Spain, to assist Romanian citizens affected by the severe flooding caused by Cyclone DANA. The new center, located at Plaza del Alfonso el Magnánimo in Valencia, is staffed by officials from the Romanian Embassy in Madrid and Consulates in Madrid […]
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis promulgated on Tuesday, November 5, the law that allows the local referendum of Bucharest to be held on the same day as the first round of the presidential elections,
The European Film Academy revealed the nominees for the main categories of the European Film Awards 2024, and Anul Nou Care N-a Fost/The New Year That Never Came, the first fiction feature written and directed by Bogdan Mureşanu, is on the list. The Romanian production is one of the six running in the European Discovery 2024 – […]
