The U.S. embassy in Havana has been quietly issuing visitor visas to private entrepreneurs and activists even though they do not qualify for emergency nonimmigrant visas, the only category regular Cuban citizens living on the island are allowed to obtain in the Cuban capital, according to the embassy's own policy. The embassy says on its website that it is currently only issuing official visas to diplomats and members of the Cuban government and those with "an emergency medical condition requiring medical treatment in the United States." But the Miami Herald has spoken to and learned about several Cubans who have applied and were granted visas in Havana who do not have a medical emergency, including Cuban private entrepreneurs who have come to the U.S. seeking business opportunities. Among those granted a U.S. visa is Carlos Miguel Pérez, the only member of the Cuban National Assembly who owns a small private company. (https://www.yahoo.com/news/despite-suspended-u-embassy-havana-181253617.html) In the first six months of the year, the embassy issued 251 visas known as B1 to Cubans who intended to do business in the United States, including participating in educational events, and 189 B1/B2 visas to those coming to the United States for a combination of business and tourism, according to the most recent State Department visa statistics. During the same period, it granted 76 B2 visas, which are intended for people requiring medical treatment in the U.S., among other purposes like tourism or visiting family members.
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