Obama fulfills promise: Travel and remittances without restrictions
(What
follows is the press release issued by The White House on Monday
(April 13) announcing the new policy regarding travel and remittances
to Cuba.)
FACT
SHEET: REACHING OUT TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE
Today,
the Obama administration announced a series of changes in U.S. policy
to reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to freely
determine their country’s future. In taking these steps to
help bridge the gap among divided Cuban families and promote the
freer flow of information and humanitarian items to the Cuban people,
President Obama is working to fulfill the goals he identified both
during his presidential campaign and since taking office.
All
who embrace core democratic values long for a Cuba that respects
basic human, political and economic rights of all its citizens.
President Obama believes these measures will help make that goal a
reality.
Cuban
American connections to family in Cuba are not only a basic right in
humanitarian terms, but also our best tool for helping to foster the
beginnings of grassroots democracy on the island. There are no
better ambassadors for freedom than Cuban Americans.
Accordingly, President Obama will direct the Secretaries of State,
Treasury, and Commerce to support the Cuban people’s desire for
freedom and self-determination by lifting all restrictions on family
visits and remittances as well as taking steps that will facilitate
greater contact between separated family members in the United States
and Cuba and increase the flow of information and humanitarian
resources directly to the Cuban people. The President is also
calling on the Cuban government to reduce the charges it levies on
cash remittances sent to the island so family members can be assured
they are receiving the support sent to them.
Specifically,
the President has directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and
Commerce to take the needed steps to:
·
Lift all restrictions on transactions related to the travel of family
members to Cuba.
·
Remove restrictions on remittances to family members in Cuba.
·
Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into
agreements to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite
telecommunications facilities linking the United States and Cuba.
·
License U.S. telecommunications service providers to enter into
roaming service agreements with Cuba’s telecommunications service
providers.
·
License U.S. satellite radio and satellite television service
providers to engage in transactions necessary to provide services to
customers in Cuba.
·
License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay U.S.
and third-country s ervice providers for telecommunications,
satellite radio and satellite television services provided to
individuals in Cuba.
·
Authorize the donation of certain consumer telecommunication devices
without a license.
·
Add certain humanitarian items to the list of items eligible for
export through licensing exceptions.
REACHING
OUT TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE
Supporting
the Cuban people’s desire to freely determine their future and that
of their country is in the national interest of the United States.
The Obama administration is taking steps to promote greater contact
between separated family members in the United States and Cuba
and increase the flow of remittances and information to the Cuban
people.
Lift
All Restrictions on Family Visits to Cuba
We
will lift all restrictions on family visits to Cuba by authorizing
such transactions by a general license, which will strengthen
contacts and promote American good will. We will ensure the positive
reach of this effort by:
·
Defining family members who may be visited to be persons within three
degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) and to allow
individuals who share a common dwelling as a family with an
authorized traveler to accompany them;
·
Removing limitations on the frequency of visits;
·
Removing limitations on the duration of a visit;
·
Authorizing expenditure amounts that are the same as non-family
travel; and
·
Removing the 44-pound limitation on accompanied baggage.
Remove
Restrictions on Remittances
We
will remove restrictions on remittances to a person’s family member
in Cuba to increase Cubans’ access to resources to help create
opportunities for them by:
·
Authorizing remittances to individuals within three degrees of family
relationship (e.g., second cousins) provided that no remittances
shall be authorized to currently prohibited members of the Government
of Cuba or currently prohibited members of the Cuban Communist Party;
·
Removing limits on frequency of remittances;
· Removing limits on the amount of remittances;
·
Authorizing travelers to carry up to $3,000 in remittances; and
·
Establishing general license for banks and other depository
institutions to forward remittances.
Authorize
Greater Telecommunications Links with Cuba
We
will authorize greater telecommunications links with Cuba to advance
people-to-people interaction at no cost to the U.S. government. This
will increase the means through which Cubans on the island can
communicate with each other and with persons outside of Cuba.
·
Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into
agreements to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite
telecommunications facilities linking the United States and
Cuba.
·
License U.S. telecommunications service providers to enter into and
operate under roaming service agreements with Cuba’s
telecommunications service providers.
·
License U.S. satellite radio and satellite television service
providers to engage in transactions necessary to provide services to
customers in Cuba.
·
License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay U.S.
and third-country service providers for telecommunications, satellite
radio and satellite television services provided to individuals in
Cuba, except certain senior Communist Party and Cuban government
officials.
·
Authorize, consistent with national security concerns, the export or
re-export to Cuba of donated personal communications devices such as
mobile phone systems, computers and software, and satellite receivers
through a license exception.
Revise
Gift Parcel Regulations
We
will expand the scope of humanitarian donations eligible for export
through license exceptions by:
·
Restoring clothing, personal hygiene items, seeds, veterinary
medicines and supplies, fishing equipment and supplies, and
soap-making equipment to the list of items eligible to be included in
gift parcel donations;
·
Restoring items normally exchanged as gifts by individuals in “usual
and reasonable” quantities to the list of items eligible to be
included in gift parcel donations;
·
Expanding the scope of eligible gift parcel donors to include any
individual;
·
Expanding the scope of eligible gift parcel donees to include
individuals other than Cuban Communist Party officials or Cuban
government officials already prohibited from receiving gift parcels,
or charitable, educational or religious organizations not
administered or controlled by the Cuban government; and
· Increasing the value limit on non-food items to $800.
