US announces ‘total restart’ of visas for Cuban immigrants

The US Embassy in Havana It announced a “total reboot” this Wednesday Issuance of visas to immigrants in Cuba From 2023, after almost five years of suspension, at a time when the island will experience a mass exodus.

“As part of an expansion of routine routes, in early 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Havana will resume full processing of immigrant visas for the first time since 2017,” the diplomatic corps said in a statement posted on its website.

Closed this year due to alleged sonic attacks on its diplomatic staff, the US consulate in Havana began issuing visas in May, but at a trickle. Most of the applicants had to travel to other countries to complete the process..

Next came the US Embassy “Expansion of Regular Routes Available to Cubans” Seeks to “facilitate safe, orderly, humane, and regular immigration” for those seeking to travel to the United States. The announcement comes as the country faces its worst economic crisis in nearly 30 years due to the effects of the pandemic and US sanctions.

According to the embassy, ​​the full resumption of visas for immigrants and the family reunification program in August is a “major effort to fulfill” the pledge to issue “at least 20,000” annual visas. For Cubans, due to the 1994-1995 bilateral migration agreements.

In May, Cuba and the United States resumed their annual migration talks after a four-year suspension under Donald Trump. Representatives from Washington and Havana met to “increase bilateral cooperation” against irregular immigration, the Cuban Interior Ministry said.