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U.S. Refugee Program

Havana, Cuba
 
Refugee Office
Refugee Coordinator: Joseph DeMaria
Refugee Inquiries: (53)(7) 833-3546/ 833-3547 836-0199
Fax: (53)(7) 834-4515
Malecon and J Street
Havana, Cuba
 
Introduction

Welcome to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program web page of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba. This site will provide you general information regarding the Refugee Admissions Program.  At this site you can also download a Preliminary Questionnaire (refugee application) and access links to other bureaus and agencies. 

The State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), in conjunction with the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the International Organization for Migration, administers the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in Cuba.

U.S. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

Presidential Determination

The President of the United States each year recommends the size and composition of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.  After seeking the advice of various governmental agencies and the consent of Congress, the President signs a Determination that recommends regional refugee admissions ceilings, processing priorities, and countries designated for in-country processing.

This fiscal year, which began October 1, 2008, the United States, will accept up to 80,000 refugees from all over the world.  Our goal is to admit at least 4,500 Cuban refugees in the United States in fiscal year 2009. Additionally, Cuba was identified as a country of special interest and eligible for in-country processing.

CUBAN NATIONALS – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for refugee status in the U.S. Refugee Admissions program, a Cuban national must demonstrate that he/she belongs to at least one of the following groups:

  • Members of persecuted religious minorities.
  • Human rights activists.
  • Former political prisoners.
  • Forced-labor conscripts (1965-1968).
  • Persons deprived of their professional credentials or subjected to other disproportionately harsh or discriminatory treatment resulting from their perceived or actual political or religious beliefs or activities.
  • Persons who have experienced or fear harm because of their relationship –-family or social -- to someone who falls under one of the preceding categories.

Office Location

The Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) administering the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in Havana is located in the Annex Building of the United States Interests Section. The street address is Malecon and J Street, Vedado, Havana.  The Havana OPE is referred to as the Refugee Office.

The Havana Refugee Office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.  The Section is closed on American and Cuban holidays.