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Frequently Asked Questions on President Trump’s Cuba Announcement

June 16, 2017

Q: How will the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017, affect me if I have already purchased a ticket to fly to Cuba under the individual people-to-people travel authorization? Does this mean I can no longer travel?

A: Regulations issued by The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) determine whether an individual is eligible to travel to Cuba.  The announced changes do not take effect until OFAC issues new regulations.  Travelers should review OFAC’s “Frequently Asked Questions President Trump’s Cuba Announcement” for additional information regarding authorized travel.  If necessary, you should consult with the air carrier from whom you purchased your ticket regarding its ticket cancellation and refund policies. 

Q: Do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017, impact U.S. airlines authority to provide transportation to Cuba?

A: No. The announced changes do not affect the current authority of U.S. airlines to serve Cuba.

Q: How do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017, impact my ability to travel to Cuba under other authorized categories?

A: Regulations issued by The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) determine whether an individual is eligible to travel to Cuba.  Prospective travelers to Cuba will need to be covered by one of 12 categories authorized   by the OFAC. Travelers should review OFAC’s “Frequently Asked Questions President Trump’s Cuba Announcement”  for additional information regarding authorized travel. 

Q: What is individual people-to-people travel, and how does the President’s announcement impact this travel authorization?

A: Individual people-to-people travel is: (i) educational travel not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program; and (ii) that does not take place under the auspices of an organization that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact.  The President instructed the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) to issue regulations that will end individual people-to-people travel.  The announced changes do not take effect until the new regulations are issued.

Q: Will group people-to-people travel still be authorized?

A: Yes.  Group people-to-people travel is educational travel not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program that takes place under the auspices of an organization that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact.  Travelers utilizing this travel authorization must ensure they maintain a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities, and that will result in meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba.  An employee, consultant, or agent of the group must accompany each group to ensure that each traveler maintains a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities. 

Q: How do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017 affect individual people-to-people travelers who have already made their travel arrangements (such as purchasing flights, hotels, or rental cars)?

A: The announced changes do not take effect until OFAC issues new regulations.  Provided that the traveler has already completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to the President’s announcement on June 16, 2017, all additional travel-related transactions for that trip, whether the trip occurs before or after OFAC’s new regulations are issued, would also be authorized, provided the travel-related transactions are consistent with OFAC’s regulations as of June 16, 2017.

Q: How do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017, affect other authorized travelers to Cuba whose travel arrangements may include direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services that may be implicated by the new Cuba policy?

A: The announced changes do not take effect until OFAC issues new regulations.  Consistent with the Administration’s interest in not negatively impacting Americans for arranging lawful travel to Cuba, any travel-related arrangements that include direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services will be permitted provided that those travel arrangements were made prior to the issuance of the forthcoming  regulations.