By Bosphorus News Desk
The United States is continuing to assess the Republic of Cyprus for admission to the Visa Waiver Program despite claims in Nicosia that the required technical work has been completed.
A high-level US Department of Homeland Security delegation led by Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Plans Rob Law visited Cyprus on July 13 and 14 to review the country's progress toward meeting the programme's requirements.
Law's delegation held talks in Nicosia with Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nicholas Ioannides and Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Theodora Constantinidou.
The meetings covered the Visa Waiver process alongside border security, irregular migration, regional stability and broader law-enforcement cooperation between the United States and the Greek Cypriot administration.
While reports in Cyprus said the technical criteria had been completed, the language attributed to the US side remained more cautious. Washington said the Department of Homeland Security was continuing to monitor Cyprus's progress and assess its possible designation under the programme.
No decision date was announced, and the United States did not confirm that every statutory and security requirement had been formally satisfied.
The distinction leaves the process at a more advanced but still unresolved stage. Technical preparations by the applicant country do not automatically lead to admission, which requires a formal US government designation following security, migration and information-sharing assessments.
The Visa Waiver Program allows eligible citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa.
The latest visit also shows that Cyprus's application is being handled as part of a wider security relationship rather than solely as a travel issue. Discussions included border management, intelligence and law-enforcement cooperation and efforts to counter irregular migration.
Bosphorus News previously reported that Washington and Nicosia were expanding homeland security cooperation while advancing the Visa Waiver talks.
The July visit indicates further technical progress, but the final decision remains with Washington.
Sources: US Department of Homeland Security, US Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus News Agency, Bosphorus News reporting and review.