The general consul of the United States in Bucharest, James Gray, said in an interview for NewsIn that he is reluctant in giving a deadline for eliminating visas for Romanians, but assured of support for the Foreign Affairs Ministry initiative in advising citizens over steps to get visas.
The
recent visit of the Romanian foreign minister in the U.S. reopened
talks on lifting visas for Romanians. Minister Cristian Diaconescu was
optimistic about including Romania in the Visa Waiver program,
stressing the only impediment is the high refusal rate. Diaconescu gave
as a deadline to let go of visas by yearend.
However,
in this respect, Gray pointed that lifting visas goes hand in hand with
a series of measures. “The designation of any country to be a candidate
for the Visa Waiver Program is not a short-term process but involves a
variety of measures,” he said in an interview for NewsIn. The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security said, through the voice of VWP program
director, Marc Frey that Romania has made progress on several issues
(reporting lost and stolen passports to Interpol in a timely manner),
Gray said. Moreover, Frey pledged the DHS is committed to working with
Romania to implement the Declaration and monitor developments related
to meeting VWP requirements, the consul added.
Moreover,
the U.S. official remains reluctant in proposing any timeline for the
lifting of visas. “Unfortunately, DHS’s statutory inability to waive
the 3 percent visa refusal rate requirement will make it more difficult
for countries like Romania to qualify for the VWP. Although qualifying
for the VWP will not be a short-term process, DHS encourages Romania to
continue to work towards meeting the requirements for VWP membership,
and welcomes the constructive dialogue we have on these issues,” Frey
was quoted saying.
Romanians
are encouraged to visit the U.S. and instructions for visa applicants
at usembassy.ro, Gray said, adding there are no technical aspects that
create unique difficulties for Romanian visa applicants.
“We
have received as many as 600 non-immigrant visa applicants in one day
during our peak season, but throughout the year the average would be
around 200 applicants,” the official said.
Moreover,
meetings regarding the VWP take place frequently both in Washington and
in Bucharest, the most recent being on May 14. The legislation
governing the Visa Waiver Program requires bilateral arrangements and
all parties to these arrangements take measures to protect the privacy
of information that is shared for official use only, Gray pointed.
Yet,
Romania’s president Traian Basescu said in November last year he is in
favor of finding a solution at European Union level and not after
bilateral negotiations.
The
foreign minister Diaconescu said after a visit to the U.S. that the
only problem tied to lifting visas is the high refusal rate, giving the
example of neighbor Hungary which succeeded in joining the Visa Waiver
Program by institutionally trying to advise citizens on the issue after
many requests were denied because they failed to go by certain
conditions needed in applying for a visa.
The
U.S. is to make accession conditions for the Visa Waiver Program
harsher stating July, by lowering the visa refusal ceiling from 10 to 3
percent, which makes it harder for countries like Romania to qualify
for the program. The refusal rate for Romania is 25 percent.
