FOREIGN Minister Ivailo Kalfin and US ambassador John Beyrle signed a visa waiver "road map" on January 26.

The road map was described in a US embassy statement as "an important step towards a common goal - that Bulgarian tourists be able to travel without visas to the US".
According to the embassy, the road map was the result of the concerted efforts by a Bulgarian-American Consular Working Group established last spring. It sets out the steps that the Bulgarian Government needs to take in order to comply with the requirements of the US congress for acceptance into the Visa Waiver Programme.

The main criteria for a country to qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme are: sufficient economic stability; a very low refusal rate; effective and reliable law enforcement activity; effective border control; secure travel documents; efficient and reliable system for reporting lost or stolen passports.  Each country that meets these requirements, must then be granted approval by the US congress in order to enter the programme.

The embassy said that while the government of Bulgaria had made substantial progress in many of these areas, the "road map" reiterated concrete requirements and sets out specific tasks and standards for measuring progress. 

"Bulgaria and the US will work together to promote further the co-operation, discussion, and effective communication and information between the Consular Relation Directorate of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy of the US," the embassy said.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Beyrle said : "We want to make travel to America as simple as possible for Bulgarian tourists, businessman, and students. 

"At the same time, since 9/11, the American congress has directed the state department to improve border security, to protect America against terrorism and to control illegal immigration," Beyrle said.

He said that every year, the US issues nearly 25 000 visas to Bulgarians to visit the US.   In 2005, about 9000 Bulgarian students went to the US on the Work and Travel programme   It was expected that there would be about 15 000 this year. Four out of every five visa applicants got visas, he said.

"The problem we face is the large number of Bulgarians who have gone to the US and have remained illegally.  By law, until the number of illegal immigrants is significantly reduced to the level of countries such as France, England, and Germany, Bulgarians will still need to have visas. Another key factor for entering the visa waiver programme is the level of success that Bulgaria has reducing organised crime, Beyrle said.  

He said that Bulgaria's Government had taken significant steps to reduce illegal immigration.  Bulgaria was already a leader in the security of travel documents, ensuring that Bulgarian passports are tamper resistant and machine-readable.  

"Visa-free travel to America for Bulgarians, if it does happen, will not happen this year. Bulgaria must show that there is no tolerance in Bulgaria for organised crime. The number of Bulgarians who work illegally in the US should be reduced. This is a long road, but I hope that, with the growing prosperity, we will eventually reach the day when ulgarians no longer need visas to come to America.   We will continue to work very closely with the Bulgarian Government to help make travel to America easier, while at the same time protecting our borders," Beyrle said.