FACT SHEET: U.S. CONSULAR AND REFUGEE OPERATIONS IN CUBA (Covers U.S. obligations under 1994 migration agreement)
U.S. Interests Section
Havana, Cuba
December 9, 2003
U.S. immigration and refugee operations in Cuba
are conducted on the basis of the same U.S. laws that apply to such operations in every
country in the world. What is unique about Cuba is the obligation of the United States,
pursuant to the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accord of September 1994, to authorize no fewer than
20,000 Cuban migrants to enter the United States each year.
Immigration and refugee operations in Cuba fall into the following categories:
Immigrant visa operations for persons qualified
under U.S. law to become legal permanent residents of the United States (LPRs or
"Green Card" holders).
Refugee operations for persons qualified under
U.S. law to receive admission to the United States as a refugee because of persecution
based on a protected ground, such as religion or political opinion.
The Special Programs for Cuban Migration. In the
first program, winners selected at random from among applicants may be paroled (considered
for special admission) into the United States by the Secretary of Homeland Security if
they are otherwise eligible to enter the United States. In the other program, certain
family members of Cuban visa recipients may receive similar paroles.