Going to the beach may cost you the ability to travel to the USA…..

The U.S. Department of State designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) on January 12, 2021.

With limited exceptions, a traveler who is found to have visited Cuba on or after this date is not eligible for travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) using an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and must apply for a visa to travel to the United States.

So, if you are from a European or other country under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) , plan your next beach vacation or trip carefully as tourist visa wait times are 2 years in many countries. You wouldn’t want to go to Havana or Varadero Beach and then be blocked from the easy US Visa Waiver Program and be force to apply for a US tourist visa.

Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015

Under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, travelers in the following categories must obtain a visa prior to traveling to the United States as they are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):

  • Nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to or been present in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes in the service of a VWP country).
  • Nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to or been present in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes in the service of a VWP country).
  • Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria
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About the Author:

Litigating Attorney and Official Court Translator in the State of Jalisco, Mexico