Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova met a Department of Homeland Security delegation in Sofia on June 23 to chart “final steps” toward Bulgaria’s entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Officials said Bulgaria has met all technical security benchmarks; the remaining hurdle is lowering the B-1/B-2 refusal rate below 3 percent. The U.S. side praised Bulgaria’s biometric passport upgrades and data-sharing agreements, adding that waiver admission could come as early as Q1 2027 if metrics improve.
![Bulgaria Edges Closer to U.S. Visa-Waiver Inclusion After DHS Visit to Sofia]()
In this context, individuals and corporate mobility teams can turn to VisaHQ’s platform for up-to-date guidance on U.S. travel documentation. The service supports both ESTA filings and standard B-1/B-2 visa processing, offers real-time application tracking, and will automatically flag changes once Bulgaria moves into the VWP. More details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Business groups in both countries welcomed the news, projecting a 25 percent rise in bilateral travel and a boost to near-shoring projects that rely on easy U.S. access. For U.S. multinationals with operations in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria’s anticipated VWP entry would slash visa-lead times from months to minutes via ESTA authorization, cutting assignment costs. Mobility managers should watch refusal-rate statistics published each October and prepare internal communications for Bulgarian staff once DHS publishes the final rule. The development also signals Washington’s broader strategy to deepen security partnerships in the Black Sea region while leveraging mobility incentives.
In this context, individuals and corporate mobility teams can turn to VisaHQ’s platform for up-to-date guidance on U.S. travel documentation. The service supports both ESTA filings and standard B-1/B-2 visa processing, offers real-time application tracking, and will automatically flag changes once Bulgaria moves into the VWP. More details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Business groups in both countries welcomed the news, projecting a 25 percent rise in bilateral travel and a boost to near-shoring projects that rely on easy U.S. access. For U.S. multinationals with operations in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria’s anticipated VWP entry would slash visa-lead times from months to minutes via ESTA authorization, cutting assignment costs. Mobility managers should watch refusal-rate statistics published each October and prepare internal communications for Bulgarian staff once DHS publishes the final rule. The development also signals Washington’s broader strategy to deepen security partnerships in the Black Sea region while leveraging mobility incentives.
