The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the reestablishment of an international field office in Havana, Cuba, through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The Havana office will facilitate U.S. immigration benefits and services, encompassing interviews and case processing for pending Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) cases and Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petitions.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas stated, “This administration is taking steps to reduce unlawful entries, deny resources to ruthless smuggling organizations, and streamline access to lawful, safe, and orderly pathways for those seeking humanitarian relief. Reopening the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Havana helps us do just that.” He emphasized the commitment to a lawful, humane, and secure immigration system, working collaboratively with countries worldwide.
The USCIS Havana Field Office will offer limited services, including refugee processing and appointment-only services like biometrics collection for U visa applications. Services will be accessible solely through scheduled appointments, with more details about services and appointments to be provided on the USCIS International Immigration Offices page in the upcoming weeks.
Under the previous administration, the USCIS Havana Field Office was officially closed on December 10, 2018, citing resource reallocation and the extended suspension of operations since 2017. This decision followed the U.S. Department of State's directive to evacuate non-essential personnel and families from Cuba.
On June 9, 2022, DHS resumed operations under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) program, offering a secure, systematic pathway for eligible Cuban beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant petitions (Form I-130) to await immigrant visa availability in the United States. CFRP simplifies the application process through a secure online platform. Additionally, in January, the Biden-Harris administration introduced a new process allowing up to 30,000 individuals monthly from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) meeting specific criteria to come to the United States for a two-year period and obtain work authorization.
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