United States Interests Section Havana, Cuba

Welcome! Nonimmigrant visas allow people to travel to the United States temporarily. There are various types of nonimmigrant visas including visitor/tourist, student, and business. When preparing for a temporary visit to the United States, apply early for visas to ensure efficient processing and minimal travel delay.

What is a Nonimmigrant Visa?

Nonimmigrant visas are for international travelers, coming to the United States temporarily. The visa, placed in the passport when issued, allows travelers to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry (airport, for example) and request permission from a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer to enter the United States. A visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S.

International travelers come to the United States for a wide variety of reasons, including tourism, business, medical treatment and certain types of temporary work. The type of visa needed is defined by immigration law, and relates to the principal purpose of the visitor’s travel. For an overview of the types of nonimmigrant visas available under immigration law, please see our Visa Types for Temporary Visitors webpage.

Types of Nonimmigrant Visas

• Tourist/Business
• Medical
• Religious
• Diplomats/Officials
• Students

IMPORTANT NOTICES:

 Application Form for Nonimmigrant Visas (DS-160)

All visa applicants who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana must submit an electronic application form, known as the DS-160 Non-Immigrant Visa Electronic Application.

 The Nonimmigrant Visa Process

The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit processes applications for applicants who wish to travel to the United States temporarily. Applicants in Cuba should ask a family member or associate in the United States to contact our Visa Information and Appointment Scheduling Service at 1-866-374-1769, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (EST) to schedule an interview appointment on their behalf.

Given the restricted number of American consular personnel authorized to work in Cuba, the U.S. Interests Section is only able to schedule a limited amount of applicants per day.

On the day of the interview, a consular officer will determine an applicant’s eligibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA); it may take a few days for a nonimmigrant visa to be processed. However, some cases require further administrative processing. This processing may last from several weeks to several months.  In such a case, the U.S. Interests Section will contact the applicant by telephone as soon as this process has concluded and a determination has been made on the applicant's case. Applicants or their relatives may also view the status of the nonimmigrant visa application at https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/. The applicant or relative will need to enter the barcode number that appears on the DS-160 confirmation page and the interview location. Once the visa appears as “ISSUED” the applicant will be able to come to the U.S. Interest Section to pick up their passport following the instructions on their pass.