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[Travel] Have you been to Cuba in the past 11 years? Travelling to the US may be an issue







Arthritic Toe

Well-known member
Nov 25, 2005
2,486
Swindon
Back in the day when I was in the region, the border officials would be quite happy not to stamp your passport on request. This was primarily for US visitors (who the US ban from visiting but would travel via Cayman or Bahamas) - Cuba were just happy to have them as tourists anyway. No idea if this is still the case in this electronic world.
 


Paulie Gualtieri

Bada Bing
NSC Patron
May 8, 2018
10,637
When I visited Cuba via the Bahamas the Cuban Immigration people simply put a stamp on a separate piece of paper which you kept in your passport and disposed of as soon as you left so there was no record of you ever having entered Cuba. Admittedly this was about 20 years ago but the Cuban authorities knew there could be a problem for visitors wishing to visit the USA with a Cuban stamp in their passport and found a way around it. I suppose in a digital age they can no longer do that but it certainly solved a problem.

Maybe Bournemouth ticketing team could get them in, in time.

Could do a job
 


Salty_Seagull

Quality over quantity
Jul 2, 2015
136
Brighton/Hove
From what I can gather this only applies if you have been to Cuba since 12th January 2021.

This is based off information here: https://fr.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/restrictions-use-esta-affecting-french-nationals/

There is also a relevant thread here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g147270-i91-k13891453-Anyone_renewed_an_ESTA_for_US_recently-Cuba.html

I really hope this is the case as I am due to go to the US in December using an ESTA. I went to Cuba in 2012 but my ESTA was approved about a month ago and no questions were asked about Cuba.
Thank you this, very helpful! Hoping you're right!

Odd that it states specifically on the French website that it's since Jan2021 but nothing clear on the UK one

Sent from my SM-S901B using Tapatalk
 


helipilot

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
337
I lived in China for the whole of last year and travelled to Cuba in Feb this year (from Florida!) for a diving trip. US citizens can travel there for certain reasons and I travelled on one of those (humanitarian!). I have an ESTA in place from before (Nov 21) that and, living in Canada now, travel to the US a lot with no issues. I guess we shall see when I go to renew the ESTA, but it is good until late 2023.
Sorry to drag this back up. I had an email from the US today saying there has been a change to my ESTA status, I log in and it now says I'm not authorized to travel to the USA. I have to assume this is because of my travel to Cuba in Feb 22, before the change that his thread was about. I now need to apply for a tourist visa, which the waiting list here in Canada is over 2 years! I could get an appointment in the UK when I come back for Xmas but they take your passport for an "average of 7-10 working days" and then 2-3 working days to post. Over the Xmas period means I would need 4 weeks plus in the UK and still risk not getting back when I need to for work. It really sucks as I'm close to the US border here in Canada and actually had a trip to NY (for the Albion v Newcastle game) for 2 weeks time and now can't get into the country, flights and hotel all non-refundable. Anyone else had this email?
 




jonny.rainbow

Well-known member
Oct 29, 2005
6,847
I have not travelled to Cuba, but I do need to get my ESTA complete for the US tour.

Will do today and see what it says.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,716
The Fatherland
Sorry to drag this back up. I had an email from the US today saying there has been a change to my ESTA status, I log in and it now says I'm not authorized to travel to the USA. I have to assume this is because of my travel to Cuba in Feb 22, before the change that his thread was about. I now need to apply for a tourist visa, which the waiting list here in Canada is over 2 years! I could get an appointment in the UK when I come back for Xmas but they take your passport for an "average of 7-10 working days" and then 2-3 working days to post. Over the Xmas period means I would need 4 weeks plus in the UK and still risk not getting back when I need to for work. It really sucks as I'm close to the US border here in Canada and actually had a trip to NY (for the Albion v Newcastle game) for 2 weeks time and now can't get into the country, flights and hotel all non-refundable. Anyone else had this email?
Out of interest, how did they find out?
 


sparkie

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
13,274
Hove
2 years to get a holiday visa is insane. Absolute shambles not having any sort of fast track facility.
 




helipilot

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
337
Out of interest, how did they find out?
I have no idea, but I did travel to Cuba from the USA as part of an organized trip (with a US company) that is sanctioned under Humanitarian reasons. I guess they are now catching up with travel/ flight records.
 


helipilot

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
337
2 years to get a holiday visa is insane. Absolute shambles not having any sort of fast track facility.
I know, especially as Canadians do not need a visa or ESTA to travel to USA so you’d expect the requirement to be lower!
 






portlock seagull

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
17,779
Save the planet by not flying to US

Save your life potentially too, it’s lethal arsenal of guns and crazies.

Win win!
 


Gazwag

5 millionth post poster
Mar 4, 2004
30,739
Bexhill-on-Sea
We went in 2013, so did panic when I saw this thread, missed it when it was originally posted. Going to Vegas for our daughters 30th birthday in January so mightily relived to read this


Travelers from the 40 world countries under the United States’ Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) who have been to Cuba before January 2021 are eligible to travel to the US with an ESTA (Electronic Travel Authorization System).

Yet, those who travelled to Cuba after January 2021, when the then-US President Donald Trump announced it a “state sponsor of terrorism” (SST), will have to apply for a B1/B2 visa for traveling to the US for tourism or business purposes, VisaGuide.World reports.

Washington’s SST list consists of several countries which are the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, and travelers from the 40 visa-free countries who have visited any of these since March 1, 2011, are rejected entry into the US with an ESTA.

After Cuba was added to the list by former President Trump, thousands of travelers who were in Cuba after March 1, 2011 have been rejected entry into the US with an ESTA.

According to British newspaper the Independent, the US State Department had insisted for months that the ESTA ban was backdated to March 1, 2011, even though Cuba is not even mentioned in its page regarding ESTA entry ban for travelers who are nationals of VWP countries.

The US Customs and Border Protection doesn’t say a thing about Cuba either, in its page dedicated to the Visa Waiver Program and those under this list that cannot enter with an ESTA after visiting a state sponsoring terrorism.

Yet, the US embassy in France, does clearly explain the situation.



…if you have traveled or resided in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, please be advised that you will need a visa in order to travel to the US,” the Embassy points out.

The official ESTA website also notes that the US designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on January 12, 2021, yet it does not clarify whether the ESTA ban applies since that date or since 2011, as for all other countries under this list.

The same had previously claimed that the ban backdates to March 1, 2011, the Independent says.

Previously the US State Department had insisted to The Independent: “Any visit to an SST on or after March 1, 2011, even if the country was designated yesterday, renders the applicant ineligible for ESTA,” it claims.

The confirmation of these dates has brough relief to thousands of travelers who have visited Cuba between March 11, 2011 and January 12, 2021.
 










Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,352
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Save the planet by not flying to US

Save your life potentially too, it’s lethal arsenal of guns and crazies.

Win win!
Weren't you on another thread the other day saying the planet now cannot be saved and we should all make the most of our lives???
 






Doonhamer7

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2016
1,454
What I love about ESTA is that Afghanistan is one of the named countries, my company had the base support contracts for the MoD, DoD and NATO in Afghanistan. So we had loads of people working there who never left the likes of Khandahar Airport or Camp Bastion but as they has been to Afghanistan they weren’t allowed ESTA. Instead they have to for interview at the American Embassy, where once they answered the question of “what were you doing in Afghanistan” with a “feeding your troops” response have effectively been given a guard of honour out of the building.
 


portlock seagull

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
17,779
Weren't you on another thread the other day saying the planet now cannot be saved and we should all make the most of our lives???
Stalker alert
 


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