Habilitado Needed for Cubans Travelling Back??

[J.Ro 1]

Now that my husband finally has his greencard, etc., we are planning a trip back to visit his family. Someone told us that in order for him to travel back, he is required to have an 'habilitado' or special stamp in his passport issued by the Cuban Special Interests Section in Washington. We were also told it was best to travel to Washington to get this.

This is the first I 've heard of this. Is this something that is required of ALL Cubans traveling back, or only those who left with a PVE? My husband left under a PRE and surrendered his apartment, carnet, etc. Also, his passport was issued in September '07, and my understanding was that it was valid for 2 years. Our travel will be complete by the end of August '09.

Cuban V-Jers, please help! It never ends!!!!

Thanks, J.Ro

[EdwinandMary 0]

Don't Travel to Washington DC, Mary and I just did that the other week. You need to send your husband passport by mail, they do nothing to his passport in person anymore. In the past you were able to go the Cuban interest section in DC to do it, but not anymore. We learn that the hard way. Here's what you guys need to do: First, every two years the Cuban passport needs to be renew (which they call prosloga at the Cuban Interest Section), no matter what the expiration date in the passport said. Second, to travel to Cuba you need permission to enter the country (not advance parole, that’s a U.S. thing). What they are going to do at the Cuban interest section is send you husband passport information to Cuba and they will do a background check. If a Cuban enters the U.S. illegal, or has a criminal record they will be denied him to enter back in Cuba. Go the U.S. Cuban section Official Website for information on where to send the passport by mail and the fees. We paid 180 dollars for the Prosloga, and 20 for them to send the passport back to us by US mail. It was paid by two separate money orders, and only paid my money orders. I hope this information helps.

Here is the Website for the Cuban interest Section, here you find the instructions where to send his passport and fees .

http://embacu.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?a...aminrex.cu/sicw

Here their phone number, which has a message giving instructions too.

202 797-8518, 8519, 20

Edwin&Mary.

[K-9 Visa 11]

It is true that Cubans (with a Cuban passport) living in the United States need a special visa to visit Cuba. My wife flew to Havana on Friday and was denied entry at the airport. They wouldn't let her buy a tourist visa. They told her to get a special visa from the Cuban consulate in Washington, D.C.

They kept her and 14 other Cubans in the airport overnight, sitting on hard chairs, and wouldn't allow her to see her parents who had come to the airport to meet her, or even let her call her parents. We were all very worried about her.