US removed Romania from Visa Waiver due to organized crime and refusal rate, minister says

The Trump administration removed Romania from the US Visa Waiver Program due to organized crime and the high visa refusal rate for Romanian citizens, according to foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu, as quoted by Profit.ro.

The official’s statements contradict government announcements from last year stating that the visa refusal rate has fallen below the mandatory 3% threshold. It is important to note that the previous Marcel Ciolacu government reportedly covered the visa costs for tens of thousands of public employees in order to achieve this mandatory rate for inclusion in the program.

“We know what the criteria were that led to its suspension: organized crime and the too high rejection rate,” minister Hurezeanu said on Thursday, May 29. He also added that “it is still an open discussion” whether the refusal rate had truly dropped below 3%, according to Profit.ro.

On May 5, 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it eliminated Romania from the Visa Waiver Program. The announcement was made two days before the first round of the presidential elections.

At that time, far-right candidate George Simion (AUR) claimed that the Homeland Security Department had congratulated him after his win in the first round. He also thanked the US for taking Romania out of the Visa Waiver scheme.

Former president Joe Biden’s administration had announced on January 10 that Romania would be admitted to the program, stating that it had met strict security requirements, including entering into partnerships with US law enforcement authorities for the exchange of information on terrorism and serious crimes.

Later, shortly before the March 31 deadline for Romania’s effective admission to the Visa Waiver, the Trump administration halted the entry. Back then, Romanian authorities assured that there was only a slight delay necessary for this evaluation and that the decision came as the US “made the protection of borders and the fight against illegal immigration an absolute political and technical priority.”