US u-turns on Esta ban for Cuba tourists
To the immense relief of tens of thousands of prospective British visitors to the US, Washington DC has quietly U-turned on a punitive sanction against people who have been to Cuba in the decade up to 2021. In one of his last acts as president, Donald Trump added Cuba to Washington’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism” (SST) just before leaving the White House. The effect is to prevent people who have been to the island from using the swift and easy online permit known as Esta. Instead, British travellers must apply in person in London or Belfast for a visa, at a cost of $160 (£130). The US move was designed to hit Cuba’s tourism industry and deter future visits to the island. But it also has the effect of punishing people who have visited Cuba in the past. For months, the US State Department insisted that the Esta ban was backdated to 1 March 2011. But overnight US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been telling UK travellers that the relevant date is now the so-called “designation date” of 12 January 2021. That position has now been confirmed in multiple emails sent by CBP – many of them in response to enquiries from months ago.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-02-02/general/us-u-turns-on-esta-ban-for-cuba-tourists
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US u-turns on Esta ban for Cuba tourists
To the immense relief of tens of thousands of prospective British visitors to the US, Washington DC has quietly U-turned on a punitive sanction against people who have been to Cuba in the decade up to 2021. In one of his last acts as president, Donald Trump added Cuba to Washington’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism” (SST) just before leaving the White House. The effect is to prevent people who have been to the island from using the swift and easy online permit known as Esta. Instead, British travellers must apply in person in London or Belfast for a visa, at a cost of $160 (£130). The US move was designed to hit Cuba’s tourism industry and deter future visits to the island. But it also has the effect of punishing people who have visited Cuba in the past. For months, the US State Department insisted that the Esta ban was backdated to 1 March 2011. But overnight US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been telling UK travellers that the relevant date is now the so-called “designation date” of 12 January 2021. That position has now been confirmed in multiple emails sent by CBP – many of them in response to enquiries from months ago.<br/>
