U.S. policy toward Cuba

THE BIGGEST CHANGES:

Travel: Individual travel to Cuba under so-called “people-to-people” educational and cultural trips will be stopped. Those trips were largely a fig leaf for tourist visits to Cuba. Such travel will now require people to go as part of a group, with documentation about the activities taking place — which, administration officials said, aren’t supposed to include touristy activities such as spending time at the beach. And they’ll have to hold onto the documentation for five years.

Trade: U.S. businesses will be restricted from dealings with Cuban companies that are owned by the military or state security services. That’s a major change because the military-owned Grupo de Administración Empresarial, or GAESA, controls large parts of the Cuban economy, especially in the travel and tourism industries. And there are some exceptions. The ban on financial dealings with military and security services, for example, won’t apply to landing fees paid by airlines and docking fees paid by cruise lines, allowing them to continue operations there.

OBAMA POLICIES THAT REMAIN:

Relations: The two countries will maintain diplomatic relations. Embassies will remain open in Havana and Washington. Refugees – The so-called “wet foot, dry foot” policy that allowed special immigration status for Cubans who arrived in the U.S. won’t be reinstated. Under “wet foot, dry foot,” Cubans who made it to U.S. soil were granted permanent residency after a year and a day. Obama ended the policy early this year, just before he left office. Families: Family travel to Cuba and remittances from family members to relatives there won’t be restricted. Obama eliminated all such restrictions.