U. S. & World News
CUBA REVISITED
A NEW BEGINNING
When Obama announced that relations with Cuba were going to be restored, a lot of changes were made regarding Americans’ travel to Cuba. In the past, a lengthy process of filing for a license was necessary and getting to Cuba from the United States meant flying to certain cities to get a charter plane that would take you.
Even though diplomatic relations are being restored between the United States and Cuba, that does not mean that Americans can freely visit the country like they would, say, Canada or Mexico— there are still restrictions and rules in place. Is American Tourism Legal In Cuba? What is important to realize with Cuba is that even though the country is making progress to restore the relationship with the United States, the progress will be slow. General tourism, for example, like simply booking a flight and getting a tourist visa to lounge on a Cuban beach, is still illegal, until Congress decides otherwise. That isn’ t to say that you can’ t do those things, but you still have to do them under the premise of the new guidelines in place between the United States and Cuba. Can Americans Travel To Cuba?
Yes, they can. Before last year, as mentioned above, you could travel to Cuba but the requirements were extremely strict. You had to get a special license from the United States Department Of Treasury which was hard to obtain, took a long time, and was often denied.
What has changed with travel to Cuba is that you no longer need a license if you are traveling for 12 different categories. These categories are permanent pre-approved license status and means you simply need to get a tourist visa. The 12 categories are:
Visiting Family Members Humanitarian Aid Within Cuba Official United States Government Business Journalism Professional Research Academic Institute Sponsored Educational Activities Religion People-To-People Travel Competitions, Exhibitions, Workshops, and Public Performances Providing Travel Services Private Research and Educational Institute Activities Exporting Certain Internet Services
If you fall within those 12 categories, you can visit Cuba without needing any special license. One thing that you should note, however, is that you must stick to the
68 specific itinerary and schedule. If you are caught by the U. S. government taking a trip to Cuba for something other than what you have been granted a pre-approved license for, you could be subject to fines. The good part of these 12 categories is that they are very vague, which means you can fit most reasons to travel to the country inside one of them. The ambiguity, at least for now, allows most Americans to travel to Cuba.
Coupled with the fact that the categories are self-authorized( meaning you decide whether you fit inside a category).
So, while it is still technically illegal to simply visit Cuba without a reason, Americans are able to travel to Cuba with just a tourist visa.
— PLM Contributor