The speed of Cypriot residents who’ve their functions for United States visas rejected has fallen beneath the minimal threshold for the nation to affix the nation’s Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).
Undersecretary to the President Irene Piki introduced on Wednesday that the speed of Cypriots having their US visa functions rejected has fallen to simply 2.16 per cent, that means that Cyprus now meets the requirement.
She stated the information “constitutes one other essential step in direction of our nation’s accession VWP and seals the numerous progress achieved by the Cypriot authorities, significantly during the last yr, within the technical consultations between the Republic of Cyprus and the US.”
“We’re persevering with to concentrate on our objective of attaining Cyprus’ accession to the VWP as quickly as doable, inside 2025, and we are going to methodically work in direction of this objective in order that Cypriot residents will have the ability to journey to the US, for tourism or for enterprise functions, with out having to use for a visa,” she stated.
US ambassador in Nicosia Julie Fisher additionally reacted to the information, describing it as a “vital milestone which brings Cyprus one step nearer to becoming a member of the VWP and to bringing visa-free journey to the US for Cypriots.”
The information comes as steps on the matter are being made at a governmental and legislative degree, with Cyprus’ parliament passing laws in October which permits Cyprus and the US to trade details about people of their respective databases to find out if they’ve dedicated, are suspected of, or are below investigation for severe crimes.
Earlier, authorities spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis stated Cyprus had been “very shut” to the three per cent goal goal final yr.
“There may be nonetheless an settlement to be signed, and we hope that this will probably be finished within the very close to future. We’ll fulfil all our obligations. The issue of the three-per-cent barrier stays, however we’re optimistic that we can obtain this objective,” he stated.
Ought to Cyprus safe visa-free journey to the US for its residents, it can be part of a complete of 41 international locations, of which 24 are European Union member states, which at present have entry to the US’ Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).
As an alternative of making use of for a visa, Cypriot residents would due to this fact fill out the Digital System for Journey Authorisation (Esta) to thus be granted entry to the nation for as much as 90 days per go to.
These travelling to the US by way of the Esta are required to have a completely legitimate biometric passport and to have proof of a return or onward ticket.
Residents of nations lined by the VWP are nonetheless required to use for a visa if they’ve entered Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen since March 1, 2011, or if they’ve entered Cuba since January 12, 2021.
