The US Embassy in Havana has unfolded plans to expand visa services to include specific categories of work and exchange program visas.
Following the new changes, which will take place on August 19, nationals from Cuba planning to travel to the US for academic and cultural exchanges, temporary work or study at a US university will be eligible to apply for a non-immigrant visa in Havana, VisaGuide.World reports.
In addition, the US Embassy will also process visas for artists, athletes, members of religious groups, those with extraordinary abilities as well as employees transferring to other company positions in the US.
Up to this point, nationals of Cuba were required to apply for such visas in third countries.
However, the Embassy emphasized that the changes do not include nonimmigrant visas for people who plan to reach the US temporarily for business (B-1 visa) or for tourism (B-2 visa). Cubans are still required to travel to another US Embassy or consulate for routine B1/B2 visa interviews.
Several Categories to Benefit From Expanded Visa Services by US Embassy in Havana
The expanded visa services in the U.S. Embassy in Havana will include the following categories:
- H-3 visa- temporary workers or trainees
- J visa- exchange visitors
- L-1 visa– intracompany transferees
- O visa– workers with extraordinary ability or achievement
- P visa– artists, athletes, entertainers
- Q visa– international cultural exchange participants
- R visa- members of a religious denomination performing religious work
However, the Embassy emphasized that a visa appointment is not a guarantee of visa issuance. Applicants are required to demonstrate their qualifications for the visa as part of the US law and regulations.
To be scheduled for an interview appointment for categories H, L, O, P, Q, and R, applicants will be required to submit evidence of their approved petition (Form I-797 Notice of Action) from USCIS. To apply for an interview for a J visa, applicants must submit a Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, Form DS-2019, issued by the exchange program sponsor. Interviews will be scheduled only after an approved Form I-797 or Form DS-2019 has been submitted to the Embassy.
In addition, applicants are also required to provide their application, a valid passport, fees as well as a current photo.
Visa services in Cuba were suspended by the Trump administration in 2017 due to incidents related to the Havana Syndrome ailment and the need to reduce its staff to a minimum. Therefore, nationals of Cuba planning to travel to the US were urged to travel to a third country in order to obtain a visa.
In May 2022, the Biden administration began processing some immigrant visas again, and from January 2023, all immigrant visa categories began being processed. However, the embassy has not issued non-immigrant visas, except for some activists and private entrepreneurs.