Starting Thursday, Cubans will benefit from the resumption of procedures at the Canadian Embassy.

La Embassy of Canada in the Republic of Cuba has officially announced that it will continue a series of processes and procedures that, until today, had been suspended at that diplomatic headquarters since the beginning of May, when the Canadian government decided to significantly reduce the number of staff working at its Havana embassy, ​​due to certain ailments suffered by those representatives based on the island.

This way, Cubans will once again be able to submit their fingerprints and photos for the various applications normally submitted there. It will also be possible to leave passports and pick up visas at the consular building itself. The information was released just a few hours ago by the media outlet Canadian Press CBC, which cited statements from the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Service (IRCC) of that North American country.

The announcement is in line with the arguments recently offered by Ahmed Hussen, Canadian Minister of Immigration, who had announced that his office was working on finding a solution to all the problems existing at the embassy. It is important to recognize, however, that this new step does not fully enable all services. However, the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada has assured that it is striving to make each process more expeditious, faster, and less costly for each applicant on the island.

Since last May, the Canadian government decided to suspend the vast majority of the services it provided in the Cuban capital after significantly reducing its staff. Many of them developed mild or moderate brain injuries, primarily associated with the hearing of several consular officials.

At that time, the country's Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Service announced the suspension of several of its activities, including the issuance of tourist and temporary residency visas, as well as permits to study, work, and reside permanently. Following this surprising decision, the discontent of many Cuban-Canadian families, as well as the thousands of applicants affected by the closure, was felt on social media and in various media outlets. Even the Cuban government expressed its displeasure with the decision.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Canada announced on that occasion However, the closure of the embassy in Havana would be "temporary" and would depend on the progress of the investigations and the improvement in the health of its diplomats, which was the priority for his ministry.

Among the diagnosed ailments and conditions were dizziness, headaches, nausea, fatigue, loss of balance, and difficulty concentrating. However, the diplomats' vision and hearing problems drew the most attention, as a similar claim was made by the U.S. Embassy on the island.

It was then, at the beginning of last May, that, as a protective measure, the Canadian government announced a significant reduction in its diplomatic staff in Cuba.

The reduction affected more than half of the diplomatic staff, after it was learned that a new official had been more severely affected by the mysterious illness. The decision, announced now, will take effect on August 1st and is undoubtedly very good news for all those families with members residing in both countries who have been separated since last May due to the suspension of procedures.

However, it is important to note that some of these difficulties will persist, as the Canadian embassy will continue to be closed to new applications for permits and visas. However, good news could arrive at any time, and from Directorio cubano We will be closely monitoring any new developments regarding this topic, so that you can find the most complete, up-to-date information here.

Canadian visas for Cubans