Trump Administration Decision About B2 Visa For Cuban Nationals Has Business Focus

According to a senior-level official of the Trump Administration, goals of the decision to alter the B2 Visa also include 1) increase pressure upon the Republic of Cuba to permit the operation of wholesale product marketplaces and service marketplaces for use by the self-employed by lessening the ability of the self-employed to cost-effectively visit the United States to purchase inputs, even though a result is lessening revenues to Florida-based and New Jersey-based merchants and 2) increase attention to the decisions by the Republic of Cuba to encourage the self-employed to travel outside of the country (United States, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc.) to purchase inputs for their activities: https://www.cubatrade.org/blog/2018/10/24/cyz3n0mzekqojcj7nrwnk93m7c5gww?rq=panama

 Media Note

U.S. Embassy Havana

Havana, Cuba 

March 15, 2019 

Decreasing B2 Visa Validity for Cuban Nationals

Effective March 18, 2019, the United States will reduce the B2 visa validity for Cuban nationals to three months with a single entry.  U.S. immigration law requires that U.S. visa fees and validity periods be reciprocal, insofar as practicable, with the treatment accorded to U.S. citizens. Cuba allows U.S. citizen tourists a single entry for a stay of two months, with a possible 30-day extension to three months total, for $50.  Before the validity change, we allowed Cuban B2 applicants a 60-month, multiple-entry visa for a fee of $160.  The Department of State is decreasing B2 visa validity to three months, single entry for Cuban nationals to match the Government of Cuba’s shorter validity for U.S. citizens in similar categories. 

The B2 visa category is for tourism, family visits, medical treatment, and similar travel purposes.  No other visa categories are being changed for Cuban nationals.  Existing five year multiple entry B2 visas remain valid until their date of expiration. 

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