AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

The Right to Travel

Frequently Asked Questions

Inviting Cuban Scientists to the US

• My association/professional society is having a conference and would like to invite Cuban scientists to attend, where do I begin?
• What special arrangements might we have to make with embassies or the State Department to assist Cuban scientists to be able to come to the conference?
  

PLEASE NOTE: Information contained on this website is current as of July 2002. Travel regulations may have changed. Readers are encouraged to contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control directly for the most current regulations.

The first thing you should do is to identify potential partners. Many scientific organizations in Cuba have web sites and are accessible by email. The Clearinghouse offers the web sites of a variety of organizations in the Related Sites section. The organizations are grouped by topic. We are constantly updating this resource as we learn of new sites. You also can contact the Cuban Academy of Sciences. The Academy is the umbrella organization for all scientific fields in Cuba. Their web site is available in Spanish and English.

Once you have identified the person(s) you wish to invite, you will need to send a letter of invitation. Email and Fax are the easiest and most reliable forms of communication. The web site also provides information on how the letter should be structured. You can find this information in the Assistance with Visa and License section under the heading Cuban Citizens Traveling to the U.S.

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What special arrangements might we have to make with embassies or the State Department to assist Cuban scientists to be able to come to the conference?

In terms of visas, the Cuban scientists will initiate this process in Cuba by contacting the US Interests Section (the government representative that operates in lieu of an embassy because there is no official diplomatic relationship between the two countries). There is also information about the steps involved in the process in the Assistance with Visas and Licenses section. In particular, you should read the section about letters of invitation, timing, and the cost of visas.

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Please contact us if you have additional questions

PLEASE NOTE: Information contained on this website is current as of July 2002. Travel regulations may have changed. Readers are encouraged to contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control directly for the most current regulations.

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