Re: Speakers Wanted for pgDay Cuba

Hello Josh and Adrian

> http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/07/244623.htm
> http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/cuba.html

Thank you for the links. I read a little about that regulation. I found also a FAQ document to the last amendment of the Cuban Assets Control Regulation.

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf

The amendment specifies 12 categories of generally authorized travel. According to the FAQ (link above) people travelling to, from or within Cuba that fall into one of these categories don't need an explicit licence, as this was the case before the amendement. Now category 4 under §515.564 is, from the description, the one that participants to a PgDay would fall into.

§ 515.560 Travel-related transactions to,
from, and within Cuba by persons subject
to U.S. jurisdiction.

(a) The travel-related transactions
listed in paragraph (c) of this section
may be authorized either by a general
license or on a case-by-case basis by a
specific license for travel related to the
following activities (see the referenced
sections for the applicable general and
specific licensing criteria):
[...]
(4) Professional research and
professional meetings (see § 515.564);
[...]

And more in detail.

§ 515.564 Professional research and
professional meetings in Cuba.
(a) General license
(2) Professional meetings. The travel related
transactions set forth in
§ 515.560(c) and such additional
transactions as are directly incident to
travel to Cuba to attend professional
meetings or conferences in Cuba are
authorized, provided that:

(i) The purpose of the meeting or
conference is not the promotion of
tourism in Cuba;

(ii) The purpose of the meeting
directly relates to the traveler’s
profession, professional background, or
area of expertise, including area of
graduate-level full-time study;

(iii) The traveler does not engage in
recreational travel, tourist travel, or
travel in pursuit of a hobby; and

(iv) The traveler’s schedule of
activities does not include free time or
recreation in excess of that consistent
with a full-time schedule of attendance
at professional meetings or conferences.

What you can or can't do is described in the FAQ under Q25 and following (or § 515.560(c) in the CACR).

I am not proficient in legalese, but I got the impression that In general, the amendment simplifies travel enormously. As long as participants do not engage in touristic activities beyond reasonable limits and don't buy too many cigars and liqueurs, they act legally and don't need to go through the extenuating case-by-case licencing process.

Enjoy the Sunday
Charles