US Immigration US Immigration English  |  Español
us immigration
   Home  |  Sitemap  |  Contact us AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION, NOT A U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY
Immigration
 IMMIGRATION CART  | MY ACCOUNT IMMIGRATION GUIDES  |  PACKAGES  |  FORMS
Immigration Guides
Resources
About us
Immigration News



Cuban Immigration to the United States


Immigration Articles  >>  Ethnic Groups and Nationalities  >>  Cuban Immigration to the United States
Legal Disclaimer
Cuban family reaches the US on a floating truckFor many Cubans, reaching U.S. soil is highly desired. Living in a socialist country under the dictatorship of Fidel Castrol has brought about more equality but it has also limited many others. These individuals seek more political freedom and a democratic form of government. Others seek to live in a land of capitalism where there are fewer restrictions and more opportunities. Cubans who are against Fidel Castro and living in Cuba are not free to express themselves and their lives may be threatened if they dare to speak out or to assemble anti-Castro groups in their homeland. Many Cubans are looking to join their families already in the United States. They turn to smugglers at times who can charge thousands of dollars or they may resort to making homemade boats and even rafts for the 90 mile journey from Cuba to Florida. Others fly to countries such as Mexico to enter the U.S. via that country. Not all are successful and children and adults sometimes end up losing their lives in their efforts to reach American soil.

With the drastic wave of over 30,000 Cubans that tried to enter the United States back in the summer of 1994 this caused the U.S. and Cuban government to work out an immigration agreement. Cuba agreed to do a better job of patrolling their seas to prevent Cubans from leaving their country. If they were not successful in reaching Florida soil and were intercepted by the United States Coast Guard who is responsible for overseeing America’s seas and shores, the Cuban government also agreed that there would be no reprisal against the Cubans who were returned. However, in reality Cubans that are returned usually face some kind of punishment by the Cuban government like imprisonment. The general rule is that once an individual reaches American soil not American waters, they are allowed to remain in the U.S. This policy is often referred to as the “wet foot, dry foot policy.” Not all Cubans who are intercepted before reaching American soil are returned to Cuba, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, a Cuban who is fleeing from political persecution may be allowed to resettle in another country besides the United States or possibly in the United States.

In 1994 the U.S. set a quota of 20,000 immigrant visas annually for Cubans of which 5,000 come from a lottery system. The special lottery administered by American officials in Havana gives Cubans permanent U.S. residency. However, it has not been done on annual basis since its implementation in 1995. The special lottery is highly sought out since those selected are entitled to a Green Card and work assistance. In addition, their children are allowed to enroll in the public school system. One of the biggest incentives is that in a time period of five years or less they may gain eligibility to apply for U.S. citizenship. However, there are some requirements as to who can apply for the lottery. Those applying must be at least 18 years old and no older than 55 years old. They must have a minimum of a high school education and for the last two years must have worked. After winning the lottery, the applicants are required to undergo and pass an immigration visa interview as part of the screening process. The interview is conducted by the U.S. Cuban Interests Section in Havana and the applicant must also submit medical records and any criminal records. The purpose of the screening process is to ensure that they will not become a burden to the United States government. Lottery winners are entitled to bring their spouse and children who must be under 21 years of age.

Throughout the years there have been many publicized cases of Cubans that get intercepted before reaching Florida soil such as that of Elian Gonzalez in 2000. He was a Cuban child who had survived the voyage from Cuba to Florida along with two other Cubans on an inner tube. Two fishermen handed them over to the U.S. Coast Guard and temporary custody of Elian was given to his great uncle. The mother and ten others also made the voyage but did not survive. She had taken the child without the father’s permission and this ended up becoming a child custody case of Elian’s relatives in Miami and the father back in Cuba. The relatives’ attorney claimed that Elian Gonzales could remain in the U.S. under political asylum because this would result in a better life for him. On the other hand, the Cuban government along with Elian’s father demanded that the child be returned to Cuba. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the child could not file for political asylum because he was too young and thus only the parent could make a decision. The U.S. Supreme Court stated that they would not hear any appeals for Elian Gonzales and the relatives were ordered to turn Elian over to American authorities so that he could be reunited with his father. The relatives refused to turn him over and a SWOT team was brought in to take custody of the child. This political/custody battle lasted for about seven months and was widely covered in the media. Not all the cases of Cubans fleeing to the U.S. receive this extended coverage, but they occur on a continuous basis. The dream of reaching U.S. soil for many Cubans still remains the same.



Related Articles:
Immigration ArticlesBack to Immigration Articles



Page Protected - DO NOT COPY
Home | Certifications | Disclaimer | FAQs | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Terms and Conditions | Contact us
© 2008 US IMMIGRATION SUPPORT