Cuba - servicio social, salida definida vs indefinida

[rsempv 1]

Hi all,

I studied abroad in Cuba in Fall 2009 and have been in a relationship with my partner since then. He is a 4th year history student at the University of Havana. He will graduate in June 2013. I am traveling in South America (I had free plane tickets when I graduated from college in May) and plan\hope to begin working as a community organizer sometime in the fall. In recent months we are finally talking about a timeline.

Our idea has been that before he graduates (and once I begin working) we will apply for a fiance visa, he will come live in the US when he graduates, we will live in the US for a while, and then he will go back to Cuba and do his servicio social (2 years, because he already did a year of military service before going to college), and possibly I would go with him at least for part of the time.

He had heard that once he graduates he has 5 years to complete his servicio social. Now he is hearing that if he wants to travel out of Cuba, he needs to do it between his 4th and 5th year. He needs to apply for that permission right now, according to somebody knowledgeable at the university. This person told my partner that once he graduates, he cannot leave Cuba until he finishes his servicio social. We´ve also heard that there is an option to pay to get out of doing servicio social.

What do people know? You can imagine that this has been a really long, difficult, frustrating experience.

More on salida definida vs indefinida...

I´ve looked into salida definida vs indefinida in the past, and I´ve also met Cubans in Haiti who were working and had a salida indefinida and paid 40 CUC per month. My partner doesn´t have a ton of internet access or access to information regarding leaving the island, but from what he explains, he would like to have a salida indefinida. He sees himself eventually going back and forth between Cuba and the US doing research.

This seems remotely possible because he´s already done original oral history research on Islam in Cuba, and because he´s decided to do his thesis on Latinxs in the US. His thesis advisor is the expert on Cuban migration and is the director of Center for US Studies and the program studying Latinxs in the US. He´s made contacts in the US, very specific to his thesis on chicanismo-xicanisma. In the US, I live and work in the xicanx movement. My partner learned English as a kid.

My partner´s idea is that he could be in the US for a couple years working and-or studying with Latinxs, and then go back to the Center for US Studies and do his servicio social there.

I took a seminar course with the thesis advisor of my partner, and I´m pretty sure he´d know all the answers to our questions. My partner just doesn´t have a relationship with him yet where he can ask these questions.

We´re pretty young (22 years old, born 2 days apart) and our relationship has evolved with our circumstances, us choosing a relationship that in many ways is non-traditional, we say that we love each other so much because we´ve come to understand and accept things that would have destroyed other relationships. But I also can´t wait another 3+ years to live together again. We´ve discussed it, and it´s not an option for me to live in Cuba right now because of the economic and work situation. I realize that my partner´s idea of going back and forth between the US and Cuba might not be realistic, and he may need to accept a salida definida and pursuing academia in the US.

Thank you in advance for you help.

Rose

[ann and aties 9]

My husband just arrived from Cuba and we both think you or your boyfriend could benefit by going to get advice from an attorney whose name is Ricardo Rivera in Havana - he lives in front of the U.S. interest office - his phone number is 831-6021 - he was fairly inexpensive, 100 CUC and some tips - and that was for all the paperwork involved with the K-1 visa.

People have found that they have to quit work or school in order to get the release to travel from Cuba to the U.S. The Cubans you met in Haiti is a much different situation than a Cuban moving to the U.S.

I agree it is a long difficult process, get ready for an emotional ride. We filed in August of 2009 and he just got here this December. It just doesn't happen quickly.

I do know Cubans who go back and forth, after they have gone through a long process and adjusted status here. But it takes a long time to happen. He has to get released from school and from work before he is allowed to leave, especially at his young age.

Good luck with your journey.

[Penguin_ie 5,995]

**** Moving from K1 to Latin America forum where hopefully OP will get more answers from expert in that geographical area. ****

[Claudia2010 1]

Unless its like between countries other than US you might have a shot there (which I am not sure) but to us he cant do that. And like someone comment before he will have to drop off before getting his degree I believe. But call that lawyer and informed yourself. Good Luck

[rsempv 1]

Ann, thank you for the advice especially about the attorney. My companero went to see Ricardo and this is what he wrote me today:

le hable sobre nuestra

situacion y me dijo que fuera a la oficina de inmigracion y extranjeria a

averiguar sobre el servicio social pero me dijo que las posibilidades de

que me acepten son absolutas, a no ser casos extremos como uno en el que

la novia tenia 67 y el novio 28, y que debemos tener cosas que prueben que

tenemos una relacion seria y no de conveniencia... como el no sabia sobre el

servicio social fui a la oficina de inmigracion y extranjeria y alli me

dijeron que para salir sin hacer el servicio social y luego regresar a

hacerlo debo tener una carta del rector que me autorice, que esa es la

unica limitante, pero eso creo que lo puedo ventilar con -mi tutor-

Ann, why did it take so long for aties to be able to come to the us? I had read on this site a few months ago that the process for a fiance visa was around 6 or 7 months and for a spouse visa around 10 months.

[ann and aties 9]

It takes longer for Cuban fiances to come probably because the interview takes so long to get. I don't think people in other countries wait that long for an interview appointment.

[cuidate 0]

I am in the fifteenth month of the K1 application process. We had to wait almost 8 months for the interview appt was the primary reason for the delay. Now it's all about figuring my finances out. I have plenty of money but most of it is tied to rental property, and rental income doesn't end up counting for as much because I can write most of it off on my taxes so my AGI, Adjusted Gross Income, appears pretty paltry, using their barometers.

My primary question is about the salida definida vs indefinida .

We were told by the unkind folks at AMINT that a Cuban leaving Cuba with a K1 Visa could ONLY leave on the salida definida. The main propblem with that is that the Cuban then essentially relinquishes all rights to property, medical care or any of the other limited "rights" that Cubans have. We want to live in Cuba part time so losing those rights are quite significant.

Anybody have some insight on what's true about that?

[Beau & Digna 5]

My primary question is about the salida definida vs indefinida .

We were told by the unkind folks at AMINT that a Cuban leaving Cuba with a K1 Visa could ONLY leave on the salida definida. The main propblem with that is that the Cuban then essentially relinquishes all rights to property, medical care or any of the other limited "rights" that Cubans have. We want to live in Cuba part time so losing those rights are quite significant.

Anybody have some insight on what's true about that?

My now wife arrived in the USA with a Salida Indefinida, and I know several others that have gone that route with a PVE. I'm not sure if it's possible though if one "owes" Cuba for education, or military duty though. We haven't yet been able to change status to PSI yet though, now that we are married...The Cuban Interests Section in Washington isn't very responsive to this change, but I know it's possible. I think most Cubans leave with SD though, because it's easier and/or they aren't aware of the rights they'll be losing. Keep trying, and good luck...sometimes tactful propinas can help. I've posted a few things about SD vs. SI in the past that may be helpful for some, but it was a while ago and I don't recall all the details at the moment...Try a search, or I can try and look them up later.