Travelers from the 40 world countries under the United States’ Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) who have been to Cuba before January 2021 are eligible to travel to the US with an ESTA (Electronic Travel Authorization System).
Yet, those who travelled to Cuba after January 2021, when the then-US President Donald Trump announced it a “state sponsor of terrorism” (SST), will have to apply for a B1/B2 visa for traveling to the US for tourism or business purposes, VisaGuide.World reports.
Washington’s SST list consists of several countries which are the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, and travelers from the 40 visa-free countries who have visited any of these since March 1, 2011, are rejected entry into the US with an ESTA.
After Cuba was added to the list by former President Trump, thousands of travelers who were in Cuba after March 1, 2011 have been rejected entry into the US with an ESTA.
According to British newspaper the Independent, the US State Department had insisted for months that the ESTA ban was backdated to March 1, 2011, even though Cuba is not even mentioned in its page regarding ESTA entry ban for travelers who are nationals of VWP countries.
The US Customs and Border Protection doesn’t say a thing about Cuba either, in its page dedicated to the Visa Waiver Program and those under this list that cannot enter with an ESTA after visiting a state sponsoring terrorism.
Yet, the US embassy in France, does clearly explain the situation.
“…if you have traveled or resided in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, please be advised that you will need a visa in order to travel to the US,” the Embassy points out.
The official ESTA website also notes that the US designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on January 12, 2021, yet it does not clarify whether the ESTA ban applies since that date or since 2011, as for all other countries under this list.
The same had previously claimed that the ban backdates to March 1, 2011, the Independent says.
“Previously the US State Department had insisted to The Independent: “Any visit to an SST on or after March 1, 2011, even if the country was designated yesterday, renders the applicant ineligible for ESTA,” it claims.
The confirmation of these dates has brough relief to thousands of travelers who have visited Cuba between March 11, 2011 and January 12, 2021.
The US VWP permits travelers from 40 world countries, including here the Schengen Area members, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, etc., to travel without a visa for business and tourism purposes to the US. However, these travelers need an ESTA travel authorization in order to be able to enter.
The difference between a US visa and an ESTA, is that obtaining the latter is much easier, while the procedures for a visa are longer and more tiring. In addition, an ESTA costs only $21 while a visitor or business visa is $160.
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The post Your ESTA Is Valid If You Were in Cuba Before 2021, But Not After, US Authorities Now Say appeared first on VisaGuide.World.
