President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security and State Department are officially removing Romania from the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), reversing a last-minute decision made by former President Joe Biden. Romania’s inclusion raised national security concerns due to its high visa overstay rates and questionable democratic practices.
The VWP allows citizens from approved nations to enter the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. Romania was added to the program by the Biden administration in January 2025, despite a concerning record of visa overstays. DHS temporarily paused Romania’s inclusion in March, pending review. That review has now concluded with Romania’s removal.
Visa waiver eligibility requires an overstay rate below 3 percent. Romania’s 2024 rate barely qualified at 2.61 percent. However, previous years showed a troubling pattern: nearly 9 percent in 2023, 13 percent in 2022, and over 17 percent in 2021. These figures raised alarms about the country’s ability to monitor and manage its citizens’ travel behavior.
A senior White House official told Breitbart News the decision reflects growing concern over “democratic backsliding” in Europe, referencing Romania’s suppression of political opposition. The official compared Romania’s political landscape to the treatment of President Trump, noting similarities in censorship and the use of legal tactics to marginalize dissent.
Security concerns were also a major factor. The VWP has previously been exploited by organized crime groups from abroad, including burglary gangs that use the program to enter the U.S. without visas. The 9/11 Commission had warned of such risks, yet most administrations since 1986 have continued expanding the program.
The removal of Romania signals a return to security-first immigration policy under President Trump, rejecting Biden-era efforts to broaden access to visa-free travel at the cost of national safety.
