The U.S. Embassy in Havana has expanded visa services to include some temporary non-immigrant visas. Cuban nationals with the following approved petitions will be able to schedule visa interviews at the Embassy:
- H – Temporary workers or trainees
- J – Exchange visitors
- L – Intracompany transferees
- O – Workers with extraordinary ability or achievement
- P – Athletes, artists, and entertainers
- Q – International cultural exchange participants
- R – Members of a religious denomination performing religious work
This expansion does not include B-1 or B-2 visas for business or tourism travel. For those, Cubans will still have to travel to embassies or consulates in other countries.
The history of the Havana Embassy has been marked by periods of closure and reopening. An embassy first opened in Havana in 1923, but it closed in 1961 when the United States severed diplomatic relations. In 1977, it reopened as the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. In 2015, the Obama Administration restored diplomatic relations, but that was reversed by the Trump Administration in 2017 due to unexplained health incidents among the diplomatic staff (often referred to as “sonic attacks” or Havana Syndrome). Cubans were forced to undertake sometimes arduous or dangerous (and expensive) travel to other consulates in Colombia or Guyana – and many fled to Central or South America to then journey to the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 535,037 encounters with Cubans at the border from 2021 through 2024.
In 2022, under the Biden Administration, some consular services were restored and, by 2023, the Embassy resumed immigrant visa processing for immediate family members, the family preference categories, diversity visas, and K (fiancé) visas.
Now, with the resumption of non-immigrant visa processing, most Cubans will be able to avoid applying as third-country nationals at consulates outside of Cuba. An Embassy official reported the Embassy has doubled its number of employees since 2022, but it still would need more staff to reinstate all visa services.
To schedule an interview for H, L, O, P, Q, or R visas, the applicant must submit evidence of their approved petition (Form I-797 Notice of Action) from USCIS. To apply for a J visa, applicants must submit their Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status. Applicants must also submit the required application, fees, a valid passport, and a current photograph.
For more information on the process, please visit the Cuban Embassy’s website.
Jackson Lewis attorneys are available to assist in filing the necessary petitions with USCIS and advising regarding consular applications.
