State Department Eliminates 5-Year Tourist Visa for Cubans

March 18, 2019 by Dan McCue
State Department Eliminates 5-Year Tourist Visa for Cubans
The Cuban embassy on July 30, 2015, in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS)

The U.S. State Department on Friday announced it is eliminating a popular five-year tourist visa for Cubans, needed to achieve “reciprocity” between the visa rules of the U.S. and Cuba.

Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, immediately slammed the move, saying via Twitter the decision by the Trump administration is “an additional obstacle” for the many Cuban citizens who have relatives living in the United States.

The change in policy, which was announced through a Spanish-language Facebook post, is scheduled to take effect on Monday.

In the video, Mara Tekach, the charge d’affaires  at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, explains that under the new policy, the U.S. is reducing the duration of B2 tourist visas issued to Cuban nationals from five years to three months, and reducing their use from multiple entries to single entry.

Cuba currently grants U.S. tourists single-entry visas valid for up to two months with a possible 30-day extension.

But Rodriguez rejected the State Department’s claim that the changes were a result of a reciprocity issue, insisting that “Cuba offers all means so that U.S. citizens, from any country, including the U.S., can obtain a visa.”

The change in U.S. policy is considered a blow both to Cubans who have family members in the states and entrepreneurs who rely on their ability to enter the United States to buy goods for their businesses.

Now, in order  to make the trip on anything like the basis they had in the past, they’ll have to take more costly and time-consuming journeys through other countries, like Mexico or Canada.

The U.S. withdrew most of its non-essential diplomatic staff from Havana in September 2017, citing health and security concerns after several staff members became ill under mysterious circumstances. Since then the embassy has stopped issuing visas of almost any type in Cuba.

 

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Foreign Affairs

At Paris Gathering, Western Leaders to Show Unity for Ukraine and Signal 'Russia Cannot Win'

PARIS (AP) — More than 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials are gathering in a... Read More

PARIS (AP) — More than 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials are gathering in a show of unity for Ukraine, signaling to Russia that their support for Kyiv isn't wavering as the full-scale invasion grinds into a third year. French President Emmanuel Macron,... Read More

Unlikely Challenger to Putin Brings Rare Show of Defiance, Creating Dilemma for Kremlin

They have lined up by the thousands across Russia in recent days, standing in the bitter cold for a chance... Read More

They have lined up by the thousands across Russia in recent days, standing in the bitter cold for a chance to sign petitions to support an unlikely challenger to President Vladimir Putin. Boris Nadezhdin has become a dilemma for the Kremlin as he seeks to run... Read More

The UK and France Reiterate Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Must End in Failure as US Aid Falters

PARIS (AP) — Britain and France reiterated their determination Tuesday that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine ends in failure, with the U.K.... Read More

PARIS (AP) — Britain and France reiterated their determination Tuesday that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine ends in failure, with the U.K. foreign minister saying that Ukraine's allies must better leverage their economic might to vastly outmatch Moscow's war machine. The renewed insistence from U.K. Foreign Secretary David... Read More

China's State Media Take a New Tone Toward US Ahead of Meeting Between Leaders

Ahead of the highly anticipated meeting on Wednesday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Chinese state media have... Read More

Ahead of the highly anticipated meeting on Wednesday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Chinese state media have taken a new tone toward the U.S. with less negative coverage, calls for a return to warmer ties and stories of Americans with positive connections to... Read More

Albanese Arrives at White House to Start Day of Meetings and Celebrations

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pressed forward with this week's state visit from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, carving out time... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pressed forward with this week's state visit from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, carving out time to nurture the relationship with a critical U.S. ally in the Pacific against the backdrop of escalating fighting between Israel and Hamas. The state visit, only the... Read More

Live Updates | Cease-Fire Pleas and Israel-Hamas Recriminations Rise in Wake of Gaza Hospital Blast

President Joe Biden is in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader... Read More

President Joe Biden is in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader regional conflict and to encourage the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The president's visit on Wednesday came after hundreds of people were reported killed... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top