The United States government will resume the issuance of five-year visas for Cubans, suspended in 2019. Mario Pentón expands this information exclusively obtained by América Noticias.
The United States government is planning to announce at the end of the month the restart of the five-year B2 visas for Cubans, eliminated in 2019 under the presidency of Donald Trump and amid diplomatic friction after the health incidents suffered by US personnel in La Havana.
According to information obtained exclusively by América Noticias by three government sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the plan of the government of President Joe Biden does not contemplate the return of consular interviews in Havana for the moment but it means a great change for hundreds of thousands of Cubans who have relatives in the United States.
The visas category B2 for family visits, medical consultations, tourist trips and purchases. The number of B1 and B2 visas granted in Cuba fell from around 41,000 in 2014 to just 3,000 last year.
This Thursday, for its part, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service announced that it will be reopening its office in Havana, a step aimed at favoring the processing of family reunification cases and expanding access to legal immigration channels for the Cubans.
“This administration is taking steps to reduce illegal entries, deny resources to ruthless smuggling organizations, and make it easier for those seeking humanitarian aid to access legal, safe, and orderly pathways. The reopening of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Havana helps us do just that,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement.
