Following the launch of themobile application to apply for visa exemption through the ESTA program (Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or Visa Waiver Program, in Spanish), many Cubans with dual nationality are facing massive cancellations of travel permits to the United States.
Publications on social networks report an increase in the number of Cubans with dual nationality who have not been able to obtain the corresponding permit to travel to this country, once requested through the ESTA program.
“I am planning to travel to the United States and I am worried if there will be any setbacks through ESTA,” confessed a Cuban in the group ofFacebook Cubans in Spain. The responses received indicate a change in the resolution of the procedures for electronic authorization applicants.
Several compatriots responded to the user commenting on their experiences in this regard. “They just revoked my ESTA that was approved, and also with my purchased vacations and everything; so ask for a visa,” recommended an Internet user affected by the new approach of the immigration authorities.
Despite the update of the ESTA mobile application, which reflects the changes in thedesignation of Cuba as a sponsor of terrorism, it is important to highlight that this update does not modify the limitation imposed on residents of Cuba.
Those who have already obtained ESTA approval and are identified as residents in Cuba or with dual nationality with Cuba will have their ESTA revoked.
Affected travelers will receive a notification indicating the change in their ESTA status and will be urged to verify this information in the mobile application or on the official website provided by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“Cubans with a second nationality from one of the 40 countries favored with the visa exemption (VWP), mainly those naturalized Spaniards, and who reside in Cuba or have visited Cuba in the last five years, will not have the right to ESTA and are forced to apply for an entry visa to the United States at a US embassy,” the journalist said this Friday.Wilfredo Cancio Isla.
However, the recent CBP statement includes an additional clarification that has raised questions about whether ESTA will also be denied to Cubans due to the simple fact of dual nationality.
"The VWP travel restriction also applies to people who have dual nationality of both a VWP country and Cuba at the time of submitting the application," the statement states. According to Cancio, “several people with dual nationality who live outside Cuba are reporting the revocation of ESTA since this Friday.”
In the groupCubans in Spain There are several that confirm this trend. “Right now they are revoking all ESTAs. Nothing, at the moment the Visa is the only option,” said one user. “I'm at the agency to see what I can do, because the visa appointments are for 2024... awesome!” said another.
“As of July 6, all Cubans have to apply for a visa, even if we have Spanish citizenship and live in Spain and have never been to Cuba again,” said one more.
For the independent mediaThe touch, the CBP statement makes it clear “that those citizens who have dual nationality of both a country benefited by the VWP (Ex: Spain) and a country designated as a Sponsor of Terrorism (Ex: Cuba), are not eligible to apply for an ESTA and not to enter #USA without a visa.”
The update of the ESTA implies that, in the future, if one of these authorizations is approved “and it is subsequently determined that the traveler has been present in Cuba, or has dual citizenship with a VWP country and Cuba, the ESTA that could have been revoked Have gotten".
“This announcement does not mean that Cuban travelers with dual nationality are prohibited from entering the US. But it does mean that they are required to apply for a non-immigrant visa at any US embassy or consulate before being able to legally enter northern territory,” specified the aforementioned medium.
In 2021, the United States government reported that Cubans with nationality from a country benefited by ESTA will not be able to use the electronic entry authorization system due to federal provisions.
The restriction, currently in force, led to the cancellation of the ESTA for Cubans with dual nationality. However, those who already had the ESTA approved began to receive a free visa in their passport, valid for six months, to be able to enter and stay in the United States.
ESTA invalidation means that residents of Cuba must complete the I-193 document upon entry, which is used to request an exemption from passport and/or visa requirements due to an unforeseen emergency.
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