Cuban citizens continue to face restrictions when obtaining certain visas and entering the United States, but the ban does not impact everyone equally nor does it mean that any Cuban is prohibited from traveling to the North American country.
The main measure is the Presidential Proclamation 10998, signed on December 16, 2025, and effective from January 1, 2026, which keeps Cuba among the countries subject to a partial entry and visa issuance suspension for national security reasons, according to the U.S. government.
This travel restriction for Cubans affects immigrant visas, which are used to establish permanent residency through a consular process, as well as several categories of temporary visas, including those intended for tourism, business, study, and academic exchanges.
However, there are exceptions for legal permanent residents of the United States, certain citizens with dual nationality, individuals who already held a valid visa and other cases expressly covered by the proclamation.
The situation also depends on whether the applicant is inside or outside the United States, the type of visa they hold, its issuance date, and the specific circumstances of their case.
Which visas are still suspended for Cubans?
The Department of State confirms that Proclamation 10998 maintains the suspension of issuance of the following categories for nationals of Cuba subject to the measure:
- B-1 Visas: temporary business travel.
- B-2 Visas: tourism, family visits, and certain travel for medical reasons.
- B-1/B-2 Visas: combined category for business and tourism.
- F Visas: academic studies and dependents included in that classification.
- M Visas: vocational or non-academic training and their dependents.
- J Visas: exchange programs and their dependents.
- Immigrant Visas: categories aimed at obtaining permanent residency through a consular process, including family petitions.
This means that a Cuban citizen applying now for a new tourist visa, for instance, can complete the corresponding consular procedures, but will not necessarily be able to receive the document due to the current suspension.
The same happens with certain individuals who are awaiting visas for family reunification, even when their applications have progressed within the Visa Bulletin.
The prohibition should not be seen as the elimination of all classifications of temporary visas.
Other categories are not subject to the same general suspension, although they remain subject to the usual immigration requirements and the specific restrictions that apply.
Which Cubans can still travel to the United States?
Proclamation 10998 establishes several exceptions and conditions that may permit travel for certain Cuban citizens.
1. Cubans with legal permanent residency in the United States.
Holders of a U.S. permanent residency card, known as a green card, are expressly exempt from the restrictions of the proclamation.
This means that a Cuban permanent resident does not automatically lose their right to return to the United States due to this prohibition.
However, you must meet the usual entry and residence conditions and be aware that prolonged absences, certain immigration or criminal records, and other circumstances may affect your situation.
2. Individuals who already had a valid visa.
The proclamation states that the suspensions generally apply to those who were outside the United States on its effective date and did not have a valid visa at that time.
The State Department clarifies that visas valid before January 1, 2026, have not been and will not be revoked solely as a result of Proclamation 10998.
For example, a Cuban who obtained a B-1/B-2 visa before that date and still has it valid is not automatically subject to its cancellation due to this measure.
However, the visa must remain valid, the travel must adhere to the authorized classification, and final admission still depends on U.S. authorities at the port of entry.
In addition, the exception provided for in the proclamation does not eliminate other possible grounds for inadmissibility nor does it guarantee entry.
3. Cubans with dual nationality.
The regulations include an exception for citizens of a country listed in the restrictions who also hold the nationality of another country not subject to them and traveling with a valid passport from that second nationality.
For example, a person with Cuban and Spanish nationality could take advantage of that exception if they use their Spanish passport and meet the other applicable immigration requirements.
Dual nationality, on its own, does not guarantee admission nor does it replace the obligation to have the appropriate visa or travel authorization corresponding to the second passport.
4. Certain diplomatic, official, and international organization visas.
The proclamation excludes several specific classifications, including A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, and certain NATO visas.
These are categories related to diplomatic functions, official duties, special transit, and activities before international organizations, not general tourism authorizations.
5. Participants in certain international sporting events.
The regulations also provide exceptions for athletes, team members, coaches, essential support staff, and immediate family members traveling to significant sporting events, in accordance with the determinations of the Department of State.
The exception does not mean that any Cuban athlete can request a visa without restrictions; rather, the conditions set for recognized events must be met.
6. Exceptional cases of national interest.
The proclamation allows federal authorities to grant individual exceptions when they determine that a trip serves the national interest of the United States.
These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and require the established governmental coordination. They do not constitute an automatic authorization that can be invoked solely by having relatives in the United States or by presenting a difficult economic situation.
What happens with the spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens?
One of the most significant changes in Proclamation 10998 was the removal of several family exceptions that were included in the previous restriction, established in June 2025.
The new regulations no longer automatically exempt certain visas for immediate family members of U.S. citizens, including:
- IR-1 and CR-1: spouses of United States citizens.
- IR-2 and CR-2: certain children of U.S. citizens.
- IR-5: parents of U.S. citizens who meet legal requirements.
It also removed the general exception for several categories of international adoption visas, including IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, and IH-4.
This means that marriage to a U.S. citizen or the existence of an approved petition for parents or children does not by itself eliminate the consular suspension.
Individuals falling under these categories may be subject to the restriction if they do not meet any of the expressly provided exceptions.
The regulations do not imply that family petitions must be automatically canceled. The petition process, the availability of a visa number, and the final authorization to issue it are distinct stages.
Can visas still be requested and interviews attended?
Yes. The State Department explains that individuals subject to the proclamation may submit visa applications and attend scheduled consular interviews, although they may subsequently not meet the requirements to receive the document.
Therefore, having an appointment does not equate to having an exception nor does it mean that the visa will be approved.
A person who already has a family reunification case should not assume that scheduling an interview guarantees the lifting of the restriction.
Those with pending cases must follow the instructions of the consular authorities, check if their classification is suspended, and verify if they meet any applicable exceptions.
Does the ban affect Cubans who are already in the U.S.?
The entry restriction of Proclamation 10998 is designed for certain individuals who were outside the United States when it came into effect and lacked a valid visa at that time.
This does not equate to a general prohibition for all Cubans who are already in U.S. territory to apply for immigration benefits.
However, processes such as status adjustment through Form I-485 depend on independent legal requirements, including the requested category, the manner of entry into the country, visa availability when applicable, and individual eligibility conditions.
The proclamation also does not guarantee that a person who leaves the United States during an ongoing migration process can return without difficulties.
Before traveling outside the country, those with pending residency, asylum, parole, or other immigration procedures should consult the specific consequences of their departure and the conditions for a potential reentry.
What happened with the visa suspension for 75 countries?
At the beginning of 2026, the United States announced another distinct measure: a pause on the issuance of immigrant visas for nationals from 75 countries, including Cuba, during a review of criteria related to the economic self-sufficiency of applicants.
The measure was announced in January and affected numerous consular processes, as reported when the suspension for those 75 nationalities was made known.
However, the Department of State confirmed that this pause ceased to be in effect on August 21 of this year, in compliance with a court order issued in the case CLINIC et al. v. Rubio et al..
The lifting of that suspension did not eliminate Proclamation 10998, which has a different basis and scope.
Therefore, it is not correct to state that all immigrant visas for Cubans became available again since August, nor to maintain that the general pause for the 75 countries is still in effect.
The travel restriction based on the presidential proclamation remains a separate obstacle for numerous Cuban applicants.
What does a bond of up to $20,000 mean for certain visas?
Cuba is also included in the list of countries participating in a program of economic guarantees for certain visitor visas.
According to the information published by the Department of State on October 2, 2026, nationals traveling with a passport from the countries included in that list and deemed eligible for a B-1/B-2 visa must post a bond of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000, as determined by the consular officer during the interview.
The program began to be implemented in Cuba on January 21, 2026.
The bond does not mean that tourist visas are open to all Cubans. First, there must be eligibility to receive the document, including the relevant exceptions to travel restrictions.
The amount is determined individually and should not be paid before receiving official instructions.
The State Department warns that payments are made only through the procedures indicated by the consulate and the government platform Pay.gov.
The guarantee may be provided by the applicant or a third party and can be returned if the corresponding conditions are met. However, depositing the bond does not guarantee the approval of the visa.
Which temporary visas are not included in the general suspension?
Proclamation 10998 expressly identifies the temporary classifications whose entry is suspended for Cuba: B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J.
Other categories, such as certain work or fiancé visas, do not fall under that general classification ban, although they may be subject to their own requirements, additional controls, and other immigration provisions.
Additionally, the proclamation orders a reduction, within the limits set by law, on the validity of other temporary visas that may be issued to Cuban nationals.
Therefore, the fact that a category is not expressly suspended does not mean that its approval is guaranteed or that all Cuban citizens can use it.
The applicant must meet the specific requirements of that classification and pass the applicable consular and immigration checks.
What should Cubans check before applying for a visa or traveling?
The situation cannot be determined solely by nationality. It is necessary to identify the type of visa, verify if there is a valid document already in place, review the date it was issued, and establish whether the person is inside or outside of the United States.
It should also be verified whether the applicant has permanent residence, dual nationality, or any other status that may place them among the exceptions of the proclamation.
In the case of family petitions, it is important to distinguish between the approval of the I-130 form, the availability of visas according to the Visa Bulletin, and the legal possibility of ultimately receiving the immigration document.
In October, the November Visa Bulletin showed a year's progress in four family categories that typically apply to those born in Cuba, but these changes in priority dates did not lift the consular suspension established by Proclamation 10998.
The challenges for Cuban applicants had also been analyzed in August, when immigration attorney Liudmila Marcelo warned that the lifting of the public charge pause did not address the restrictions based on national security.
The rules can be modified through new presidential decisions, instructions from the State Department, or judicial resolutions.
Therefore, individuals with pending cases should consult the current official information and seek individual legal advice before making decisions that could impact their immigration applications or travel opportunities.
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