(SOFIA, BULGARIA) — Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova met a U.S. Department of Homeland Security and State Department delegation on June 23, 2026 to discuss the final steps for Bulgaria’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program. The talks in Sofia centered on what both sides described as the last phase before a formal U.S. designation.

John Gountanis, Deputy Under Secretary for the Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, led the U.S. delegation. Representatives from the U.S. Department of State joined the meeting at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Petrova cast the visit as a marker of how far Bulgaria has moved in a process that has stretched across years of talks with Washington and pressure from the European Union for equal treatment of all member states. “I view this visit as a sign of strong recognition of the country’s progress in meeting technical security requirements for inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Lifting tourist visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens would ensure a balance and mutual respect for the priorities of each country, while reflecting the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States.”

Bulgarian officials said the country has already met most technical security requirements tied to the program. Those steps include enhanced information-sharing and border security protocols, along with a bilateral legal framework for security and cooperation that officials said is largely finalized.

One legal hurdle remains: Bulgaria must cut its U.S. tourist visa refusal rate for B1/B2 applications to below 3%. Officials described that threshold as the final outstanding requirement before the U.S. secretary of homeland security can formally designate the country for the program.

Discussions on Tuesday focused on “finalizing Bulgaria’s inclusion” and on completing the remaining legal criteria. Officials also referred to strengthened procedures meant to prevent abuse, a recurring concern in the Visa Waiver Program as countries seek entry.

Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus have long pursued membership in the program as part of a wider push for reciprocity inside the European Union. Several EU governments have argued for years that all member states should receive the same access to U.S. visa-free travel.

Tuesday’s visit carried diplomatic weight because it brought a senior DHS official to Sofia at a time when U.S. immigration screening has tightened in other areas. Bulgaria’s progress came alongside a broader 2026 U.S. policy environment that includes increased vetting and a “hold and review” policy for many high-risk countries under USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0194 and Presidential Proclamation 10998.

That contrast has sharpened the Bulgarian government’s message that the country now ranks as a low-risk security partner. Officials presented the meeting as evidence that Washington sees Bulgaria as a trusted ally and is working with Sofia to clear the final barrier to entry.

The practical change for travelers is clear once designation occurs. Bulgarian citizens would be able to visit the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa, provided they secure authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

That would mark a shift in the travel experience for many Bulgarians who now must apply for a tourist visa, schedule an interview and face refusal-rate pressure that still keeps the country outside the program. Interview experiences have sat at the center of the debate because each refusal feeds the percentage that Bulgaria must bring under the statutory ceiling.

Officials linked possible entry to wider economic effects as well. They said visa-free travel would help tourism, deepen economic cooperation and ease family visits for the Bulgarian diaspora in the United States, where travel for weddings, funerals, reunions and short business trips still often depends on appointment availability and consular approval.

Business travel also stands to change if Bulgaria enters the Visa Waiver Program. Short trips for meetings, conferences and exploratory commercial visits would no longer require a standard visitor visa, cutting one administrative step for companies that send staff to the United States for temporary stays.

Any visa-free access would remain limited to short-term travel. The program covers tourism and business visits of up to 90 days through ESTA, not open-ended residence or employment in the United States.

That distinction has shaped the talks from the start. Bulgarian officials have pushed the issue as one of reciprocal mobility inside the European Union, while U.S. officials have treated it as a security and compliance test tied to refusal rates, information-sharing and border controls.

Petrova’s meeting with Gountanis suggested that most of that technical work now sits behind the two governments. What stands between Bulgaria and the Visa Waiver Program is the narrow, stubborn number that has defined the process for years: a tourist visa refusal rate below 3%.