dave_f

Hi,

Have been given the opportunity to move from the UK to the US on an L1 Visa, looking to come over to Texas in a couple of months. Thing is, I have a holiday booked around the Caribbean before I go, visiting Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, then Miami (flying back from NYC).

The sticking point is going to be Cuba, is this going to cause any major problems with either:

a) getting entry to Miami in the first place (will be on a Visa Waiver)
or
b) obtaining an L1 Visa

I'd really appreciate some guidance on this, could you guys help me out?

Cheers!

Dave

TangoBlue

As far as I'm aware, the limitations on traveling to Cuba are only for United States Citizens and permanent residence. I would however, ask for your passport not to be stamped when entering/leaving Cuba.

dave_f

Great news, thanks a lot!

Very excited about the whole thing, can't wait to spend the next couple of years in the States. Have started stockpiling Yorkshire Tea in readiness.

Thanks again,

All the best,

Dave

Bob

As long as you do it before you move to the US, you won't have a problem.

It's only a problem once you're residing in the US.

redarmy990

yes get the good old yorkshire stock piled, found a store here in rockville yorkshire tea for sale $38 for 80

glad i dont drink tea but i arrived on my cr-1 with a stockpile for my wife
and my parents bringing some over in august so she should have plenty

DexterBerkeley

I visited Cube in October last year and my passport wasn't stamped. You get a 2 part tourist visa and they give you 1 part back on entry which you surrender on exit.

Also, from checks I have made, having been to Cuba isn't a problem when it comes to getting an L-1. The law is about economic sanctions, so citizens or perm residents spending money there, visiting is fine.

HarryTheSpider

For your L1 application you are required to list every country you have visited in the last eleventy billion years - you don't have to provide dates luckily!

BritishGuy36

No need. Amazon stocks the most popular British brands. My choice is PG, but ....

http://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Harrog...=yorkshire+tea

Jerseygirl

Odd I thought USCs and perm residents were not allowed to visit Cuba.

RICH

I think you are correct, and he is talking about a UK passport. He is not a USC/PR.

Jerseygirl

He mentioned the L1 visa, citizens and perm residents.

RICH

I agree, DexterBerkeley's post is a little vague. I think he is agreeing that USC/PR are not allowed to visit, but is saying it is OK for a UKC to visit Cuba, even with an L1 application pending.

DexterBerkeley

Let me try to clear this up. With regards to USC, I believe the letter of the law is that visiting isn't a problem, but spending your money there is as this breaks the economic sanctions. Effectively this amounts to the same thing, as you can't visit without spending money.

As for having visited Cuba and then getting a L1, it's doesn't appear to affect the petition, I will know in August if it affects getting the actual visa.

BTW, I found the link I read http://wikitravel.org/en/Americans_in_Cuba

P.S. I don't claim to know that I am correct on these matters, it's just what I found out when researching this prior to a visit I made in October last year.

Dan725

Before I came to the US, I visited Cuba a couple of times. There are loads of US citizens there....they either go via Mexico or Canada as a rule. The Cubans welcome US citizens and I was told on many occasions by the people I met there that not stamping their passport is the norm.

Bob

Aye....but if you do go, don't go as a group.

Mates missus went with a bunch of friends (they were all USC's) as a wedding hen holiday, went via Canada. Anyway, they all got held at the US border for 10 hours of questioning and made to pay a fine before being allowed back in, which resulted in the bird missing her own wedding.

They didn't have stamps in their passports, but one was pulled for a random customs search and was found to have some postcards in a book from Cuba, so everyone got searched. Booze, cigars and trinkets from the holiday gave it away and was all confiscated.

If you're a USC, it's just a slap on the wrist and an inconvenience if you get caught, but if you're a LPR, it's much more serious, so something to do before moving to the US or after you've gotten citizenship.