February 2, 2000
Web posted at: 9:40 p.m. EST (0240 GMT)

In this story: Streets blocked near diplomatic mission Effort to cut fraud RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States and Cuba, a U.S. government source says, have resolved a disagreement over a new procedure for Cubans wanting to apply for U.S. tourist visas that allows applicants unobstructed entry into the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

Havana has written to the U.S. that it will allow the new system beginning February 14, the source said. U.S. officials say the new procedure is more efficient than the earlier method, which they say was prone to abuse.

After the new procedure was begun on Monday, the U.S. had charged that Havana was not allowing Cubans with scheduled application appointments to go to the Interests Section.

Cuba had objected to the timing of the change in a meeting in Havana on Monday. U.S. officials say they had briefed the Cuban government ahead of time.

MESSAGE BOARD US/Cuba Relations

Applying for tourist visas in Cuba is separate from the processing of the 20,000 immigrant visas that Cubans may obtain under lottery or other means as negotiated in 1994 migration accords. Cubans who travel to the United States on a tourist visa do so either to visit relatives or to take part in academic and cultural events.

Streets blocked near diplomatic mission

Cuban officials, upset over the procedures, instructed police Monday not to allow people to proceed into the Interests Section. Police blocked streets near the diplomatic mission Tuesday and denied entry to about 200 people waiting to apply.

The new procedure, Washington says, is in place at virtually every other U.S. diplomatic post in the world.

Under the new plan, Cubans wanting a tourist visa will put all necessary information, including applications and passports, into an envelope. The envelope is sealed and placed in a secured drop box at the Interests Section.

A receipt attached to the envelope is torn off and kept by the applicant for record. The applicants are asked to return that afternoon for an interview on their visa request.

Officials can check the visa history of the applicants to see whether they have overstayed or been refused a visa in the past.

Under the previous procedure, Cubans would write in for visa applications, and the Interests Section would reply via letter, giving the applicant a time and date to show up. That letter would be shown to Cuban police guarding the Interests Section for access.

Effort to cut fraud

The old process, according to sources, was labor intensive and subject to abuse and corruption, with some Cubans copying letters to sell after altering dates and names.

According to the sources, Cubans showed up this week outside the Interests Section with letters for appointments on Monday and Tuesday.

U.S. officials said those letters are clearly frauds, because they had sent no letters out in the past two weeks to set up appointments. The U.S. government says it will continue with the old letter system until February 14, when Cubans will be allowed to use the new application procedure.

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