IMMIGRANT VISA/PAROLE UNIT
UNITED STATES INTERESTS SECTION,
HAVANA, CUBA

INFORMATION SHEET

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Immigrant Visa/Parole Unit processes applications for immigrant visas as well as applications for parole under the Special Program for Cuban Migration (SPCM), commonly known as the "Cuban visa lottery." Qualified winners of the SPCM do not receive visas, but rather receive transportation letters authorizing them to enter the United States under the special parole authority of the United States Attorney General. For this reason, all applications for parole are reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the final decision in all parole cases rests solely with DHS.

HOURS OF OPERATION
The Consular Section of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana is open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The Section is closed on American and Cuban holidays.

LOCATION
The Interests Section is located by the Malecon (seawall) in Vedado. The street address is Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana. The entrance to the Consular Section is located on the south side of the Interests Section building along Calzada Street.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES
Cuban police restrict access to the Interests Section. Cuban police allow Cuban citizens to approach the Interests Section only if their names appear on the Interests Section’s daily visa appointment list or if they possess a written pass issued by the Interests Section.

American citizens should show their American passport to the Cuban police surrounding the Interests Section in order to approach the gate.

Consular officers respond to personal inquiries from American citizens about visa/parole/immigration matters on an "as available" basis between the hours of 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM on regular working days.

The Cuban government does not allow Cuban citizens who obtain U.S. immigrant visas or transportation letters to depart Cuba unless they also possess a Cuban exit permit (tarjeta blanca). Cubans immigrating to the United States are subject to an assortment of fees, totaling approximately US$850.00 per person. The United States government plays no part in this process, and cannot intervene on behalf of any individual to assist or expedite the issuance of Cuban exit permits. The United States Interests Section has sent repeated diplomatic notes to the government of Cuba to protest delays in the granting of exit permits and the exorbitant exit fees required of departing Cuban citizens, but we anticipate no change in this situation in the foreseeable future.

SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS
Prospective applicants for immigrant visas or special parole receive application packets through the mail (either Packet Four or "Super-Packet"). Once the applicant has assembled all required documentation, including a medical examination, Cuban police certificate, and Affidavit of Support (Note: Only Form I-864 can be accepted for family-based immigrant visa cases, and only Form I-134 can be accepted for Diversity Visa cases, Fiancée Visa cases, and all parole cases. For more information to help you properly prepare an affidavit of support, consult U.S Department of  State Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Services . The applicant should contact the consular section’s public information unit to schedule an appointment. The telephone numbers for the public information unit are 33-4400, 33-4401, and 33-4402 (callers from the U.S. should first dial 011 and then the country/area prefix, 537).

Appointment availability varies with seasonal demand. Generally, appointments for immigrant visa applicants are available within three to six weeks. Appointments for SPCM lottery winners are scheduled several months in advance.

Because applicants must first pass through the cordon of Cuban police before they can approach the entrance of the consular section, we recommend that applicants for immigrant visas and parole arrive not later than 8:00 AM on the date of their appointment. Since July 2002, the Enhanced Boarder Security and Visa Reform Act has required special security clearances for all Cuban nationals between the ages of 16-55. While we make every attempt to promptly issue travel documents to qualified applicants, at times it may be necessary to wait several weeks for the results of security background checks.

RECONSIDERATIONS
Applicants who are refused at their initial interview pending the presentation of additional documentation or information (under Section 221g of the Immigration and Nationality Act) will receive open appointment letters explaining what additional documentation is required and passes to return on any working day. The applicant may then return with the letter and pass later than 9:00 AM on any regular working day to present the required documentation or information.

Applicants who are refused for any other reason must call the Information Unit (tel. (537) 33-4400, 33-4401 and 33-4402) and schedule a new appointment if they wish to have their application reconsidered.

THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
The Immigrant Visa/Parole Unit in Havana does not accept applications for immigrant visas from third country nationals.

APPLICATIONS FROM CUBAN CITIZENS (DISTRICT RESIDENTS) TEMPORARILY IN THE UNITED STATES
While the Immigrant Visa/Parole Unit has no objection to processing immigrant visa cases for Cubans who are in the United States temporarily, we note that no such request has ever been received, owing to the ease with which Cubans in the United States may adjust status in the United States under the provisions of the Cuban Adjustment Act.

FILING PETITIONS FOR IMMIGRANT VISAS IN HAVANA
Federal regulations state that only persons who can demonstrate that they reside in Cuba will be allowed to file an I-130 Petition For Alien Relative at the Interests Section in Havana. All persons not residing in Cuba should file their petitions with the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) in the United States.

ATTORNEYS
The Immigrant Visa/Parole Unit appreciates the contributions that attorneys may make to the expeditious processing of immigrant visa applications, especially in ensuring that all required documentation is in order and properly prepared prior to the interview. However, the Immigrant Visa/Parole Unit does not permit attorneys to accompany immigrant visa applicants to their interviews or to participate in the interviews.

AFFIDAVITS OF SUPPORT: HELP GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
Almost half of all applicants for immigrant visas at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana are refused at their first interview due to improper preparation. Most immigrant visa applicants are unsuccessful because of problems with their affidavit of support from their sponsoring family members in the United States. In order to prevent avoidable denials and delays in processing an immigrant visa application, sponsors in the United States should exercise great care to insure that the affidavits of support sent on behalf of immigrant visa applicants are complete and correct. For more information on preparing affidavits of support, and for general immigrant visa information consult U.S Department of  State Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Services