US resumes visa processing in Cuba on a ‘limited basis’

Following the migration talks between the U.S. and Cuba last month that aimed to restart the ties between the two countries, U.S. officials in Havana has begun processing visa requests to Cubans on a limited basis.

In a report by the Associated Press, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba will only cater to visa applications under the category known as IR-5, or Cubans who are parents of U.S. citizens.

The IR5 parent visa allows U.S. citizens to bring their foreign-born parents to the United States as permanent residents, but this visa is only granted abroad and will be issued at the U.S. embassy or consulate where the parent resides.

An official, whose named was not disclosed, said that this was given a priority for the time being because of “the unique age, health, and mobility challenges for this category of applicants.” In the future, the Biden administration will consider expanding the services to other categories.

Those who do not fall in the IR-5 category will have to visit the U.S. Embassy in Guyana for their visa application. This has been the usual process since 2018, when the administration of former President Donald Trump suspended in 2018 the bi-annual U.S.-Cuba talks, which led to the temporary closure of the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

During his term, Trump also increased sanctions against Cuba, including the cancellation of permits to send remittances to limitation of flights and the punishment of oil tankers bound for Cuba. President Joe Biden has promised that this will all change as soon as he assumes office. The sanctions have yet to be lifted.

According to the Associated Press, data from the U.S. border authorities showed that last month “the number of Cubans seeking entry had doubled from February to March to 32,500,” and has increased five times from how many they were in October.