Almost 94% of visa applicants to the US last year were approved — 27 November
27 November 2024 News
Today the U.S. Department of State released the FY 2024 B visa denial rate. For Bulgaria, this rate is 6.02%, which marks a significant decrease from last year’s rate of 11.61% and is the lowest level in 18 years.
‘Significant efforts have been made in recent months to meet the criteria for Bulgaria’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program. The substantial reduction in the visa refusal rate is another step forward on the road to the successful completion of this process’, Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov said on the occasion of the data presented today. ‘It is extremely important for us to meet the public expectations and to put in all necessary efforts for the visa waiver. A few more joint efforts are needed from both institutions and the society to meet all criteria. Our goal is for Bulgaria to be included in the Program as soon as possible’, the Bulgarian first diplomat further highlighted.
During his latest meeting with Minister Kondov, US Ambassador Kenneth Merten noted the significant progress Bulgaria has made towards visa-free travel to the United States and reaffirmed the US Embassy’s commitment to support Bulgaria’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program.
One of the technical conditions for our country's inclusion in the Programme is that the percentage of refused tourist visas for Bulgarian citizens does not exceed 3%. By the end of the year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will launch an information and education campaign to explain the conditions and process for applying for a visa to the United States.
The campaign prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide Bulgarian citizens with sufficient information, explanations and answers to frequently asked questions and practical advice that will help those of them who are planning to visit the United States soon for business or tourism.