U.S. considering adding Israel, Romania, Bulgaria to visa waiver program
The Hindu
To participate in the program, a country must meet requirements related to counter terrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on October 26 that 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," Mr. Mayorkas said on October 26 at a travel industry event. "We're very, very focused on the program," he added, saying it provides significant economic and securitybenefits.
In September, the United States added Croatia to the visa waiver program. U.S. Travel Association Chief Executive Roger Dow said on October 26 adding Croatia is a $100 million boost to the U.S. economy. "Each time you add one of these countries, the travel just booms," Mr. Dow said.