Related videos:
A Cuban doctor, a specialist with over three decades of experience, was stranded in Mexico following the implementation of the travel ban imposed by the United States government since last June.
The professional, who prefers to remain anonymous, traveled to Mexico City to complete the second stage of her immigration process under the EB-2 NIW visa, but she claims that the presidential proclamation signed by Donald Trump on June 9 left her case “in a limbo with no way out.”
The woman sent a letter directly to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to request his intervention, stating that her professional life and family stability depend on this process, which is currently stalled.
Their request seeks a review of the treatment received by Cuban applicants under this type of visa, designed specifically to attract highly qualified professionals whose work benefits the national interest of the United States.
She states that her case was approved by USCIS in May 2025, but since then it has been stuck at the National Visa Center. Her fear grew upon learning that Cubans and Venezuelans with similar processes have been placed in "indefinite administrative processing," since the only way to obtain a waiver in consulates affected by the travel ban is to demonstrate dual nationality, something she lacks.
The doctor explains that she dedicated 35 years of her life to the public health sector in Cuba and that, even though the salary on the island did not exceed 20 dollars a month, she decided to emigrate legally and undergo a long and costly process to contribute to the fight against chronic diseases in the United States.
The travel ban imposes a partial restriction on Cuba, suspending visas for tourism, business, study, and exchange, and seriously complicating the progress of consular processes such as that of this doctor.
Although the categories for immediate reunification continue, the rest of the visas, including many immigrant visas, face delays, additional reviews, and operational limitations in consulates in third countries, as is the case in Mexico.
Below, we publish the letter sent by the doctor in its entirety, just as it arrived at our editorial office:
Mexico City, November 23, 2025
United States Senate
Secretary of State and National Security Advisor/Mr. Marco Rubio
Washington, D.C.
Subject: Request for Constituent Assistance - Difficulties with Consular Processing (EB-2 NIW Visa)
Dear Secretary of State,
I am writing to you as a concerned constituent, requesting your kind assistance regarding my immigrant visa case. My name is S.C.A., and I am the principal beneficiary of an EB-2 National Interest Waiver immigrant visa petition that was approved by USCIS on May 21, 2025. Currently, my case is stuck in the Consular Processing phase at the National Visa Center (NVC), facing serious delays and logistical challenges due to my Cuban nationality and the limitations/restrictions at the assigned consulate, which threatens the timely implementation of my proposed endeavor.
I would like to express my concerns regarding the Travel Ban imposed in June and its repercussions on our community. I understand the importance of protecting national security; however, this measure has had significant effects on families and residents of our state, and I believe it is essential for our representatives to listen to these experiences.
I am reaching out to you with the utmost respect solely with the intention of requesting an assessment of one of the immigrant visas, specifically the EB-2 NIW visa for national interest in the U.S.
Due to the proclamation that came into effect on June 9, 2025, signed by President Donald Trump, a new travel ban with a total suspension for 12 countries and partial restrictions for another seven, including Cuba and Venezuela, this visa is specifically affected.
De manera general sabemos NIW significa Exemption for National Interest,una categoría dentro del proceso de solicitud de la tarjeta verde estadounidense, específicamente dentro de la categoría of EB-2 visas. Generally, the second preference for employment-based immigrant visas (EB-2) requires a job offerespecífica y una certificación laboral obtenida por el empleador (PERM).El proceso de certificación garantiza que no haya trabajadores estadounidense calificados disponibles para el puesto, protegiendo así el mercado laboral nacional.
Sin embargo, en virtud de la National Interest Waiver (NIW)un ciudadano extranjero puede solicitar la exemption del requisito de oferta de empleo y certificación laboral demostrando que su admisión a la residencia permanente beneficiaria significativamente el national interest de los Estados Unidos. Esto le permite to requestuna visa de inmigrante por cuenta propia, sin el patrocinio de un empleador. El marco legal que rige las peticiones NIW se aclaró en la decisión precedente del Matter of Dhanasar (2016)y, más recientemente, se reforzó con la USCIS Policy Updates for January 2025, que ofrece orientación adicional sobre como los funcionarios del USCIS evalúan the proposed initiatives, the applicants' qualifications y las consideraciones de national interest.
If we put into context Executive Order (EO) 14212 regarding the "Establishment of the Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again" signed by President Trump on February 13, 2025.
Se trata de la the first executive order of his second term that directly addresses reforms to the American healthcare system, incluido los planes de salud, mediante la creación de la Comisión Make America Healthy Again.
Presided over by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Commission will include representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, the Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, the National Economic Council, the Council of Economic Advisers, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The OE believes that the United States should reorient its national approach, both in the public and private sectors, towards understanding and drastically reducing the rates of chronic diseases and ending childhood chronic illnesses.
The Segal 2025 Healthcare Benefits Cost Trends Survey has revealed that the rise in chronic disease rates contributes to overall healthcare spendingincluidas enfermedades como el cáncer, las dolencias cardiovasculares, diabetes, las afecciones muscoloesqueléticas y la obesidad.
Aunado a lo anterior el 13 de noviembre de 2025 el gobierno de los United States ha introducido una nueva interpretación de la norma de “public charge” y ampliará los criterios médicos que pueden descalificar a solicitantes de visas en Estados Unidos. Permitiendo deny visas to applicants who suffer from obesity, cancer, diabetes, or other chronic illnesses.La medidainstruida por el secretario de EstadoMarco Rubiomarca una ampliación significativa de los criterios médicos utilizados para evaluar la admisibilidad de inmigrantes.
Lo que nos sugiere que The United States could face a deficit of over 6 million workers by 2030. La enorme escasez de talento a la que se enfrenta Estados Unidos (y a la que seguirá enfrentándose en las próximas décadas) es el resultado de múltiples cambios en la sociedad y la economía, como las tendencias demográficas (envejecimiento de la población activa) el cambio de preferencias de la Generación Z y los Millennials, el desajuste de competencias, las disparidades geográficas y otros factores.
Coincido con los argumentos planteados ante el “Travel Ban” para ciudadanos de varios países, justificándose en motivos de seguridad nacional, para proteger a Estados Unidos de terroristas y otras amenazas a la seguridad pública. De la misma manera que como profesional de salud reconozco Diabetes is the most expensive disease in the U.S. healthcare system, accounting for 1 in 4 healthcare dollars, and it is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, directly responsible for over 103,000 fatalities each year, as well as nearly 400,000 additional deathscomo otras enfermedades crónicas a tratar. Con unos costes anuales que superan 413.000 millones de dólares en gastos médicos directos y perdida de la productividad, la presión financiera sobre las empresas, los planes de salud y los responsables políticos ha alcanzado un nivel sin precedentes.
I am a Cuban public health professional with over 35 uninterrupted years of experience in the health sector. Like many others, I left my country to provide services to support my family, fully aware that the compensation for my work would be far less than what I deserved. I had to choose this option, often as cheap labor, because in Cuba, a professional's salary does not even reach a total of $20 a month, a consequence of a system that is not functioning, given the hardships and situations that everyone knows about. Despite the significant immigration of people from various countries to the United States, I chose the path of legality by seeking this type of visa. Even with limitations, I decided to pursue this visa, achieving with patience and perseverance—though not synonymous with lacking need—the approval of the first stage of the process, the I-140 for a national interest EB-2 NIW visa.
Studying is always beneficial, and based on my experiences, I intend to launch a similar but broader initiative in the United States, refining its approach and adapting strategies to the American healthcare landscape. The goal is to develop an educational program for both patients and healthcare professionals, with a particular focus on combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially diabetes mellitus.
This initiative will support the implementation of health programs, enhance preventive measures, evaluate and refer potential diabetic patients, and improve adherence to safe therapeutic plans. In this way, it will enhance the quality of life for patients while also training primary care teams in the United States in their ongoing efforts to improve community health. The ultimate goal is to promote healthy lifestyles, prevent morbidity and mortality resulting from unhealthy habits, and restore health when it has been lost.
Pending a consular appointment in the second stage of the visa process, I have learned from other professionals with I-140 approved by USCIS, specifically Venezuelans, that during the consular appointment they are put into administrative processing. The only exemption is having another nationality, and in my case, like many, I run the risk of presenting only my Cuban citizenship. We are all united by the desire to help, offering the only thing I have learned during my 58 years of education. It is the same reason that brings together engineers, doctors, nurses, etc., who have only had this option; we are not criminals or terrorists, nor do we belong to the corrupt elite of our countries, as they will always find ways to leave the country. I speak of the ordinary people, but a thorough verification could be possible. If statistics are reviewed, Cubans with this type of visa approved do not appear, perhaps not due to a lack of professionals, but because almost none have the financial means to navigate these processes with the help of lawyers or on their own, as is my case.
I just want to call for future reviews to consider and take into account the EB-2 NIW visa of national interest for the United States, where all approved I-140 applicants are professionals who simply wish to contribute through their profession and align themselves with the national interests of the country honorably. Neglecting this would be detrimental to the nation's own interests, and I hope necessary measures are taken so that the decision does not undermine the national security of the United States. Despite the partial Travel Ban for these 7 countries, there is a lack of clarity regarding this EB-2 NIW visa of national interest for the United States.
I thank you in advance for your attention to this important concern, and I trust that you will consider the human and social impact of this policy.
I remain at your disposal to provide any additional information you may need.
Sincerely,
S.C.A (Master in Clinical Pharmacy)
Filed under: