Cuba was added back to the U.S. Department of State's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism effective January 12, 2021, in the final days of the Trump administration. It had previously been removed from the list on May 29, 2015, under the Obama administration.
Currently there are four countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism:
| Country | Date of Designation |
|---|---|
| Syria | December 29, 1979 |
| Iran | January 19, 1984 |
| North Korea | November 17, 2017 - 82 FR 56100 (November 27, 2017) |
| Cuba | January 12, 2021 - 86 FR 6731 (January 22, 2021) |
For more details about State Sponsors of Terrorism, see:
- "Overview of State Sponsored Terrorism" in Country Reports on Terrorism
- Department of State list of countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism
Among other political, financial, and travel restrictions, Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism also means that its citizens will once again be ineligible for certain immigration benefits like automatic revalidation of visas after travel solely to contiguous territory (i.e., travel for less than 30 days solely to Canada or Mexico, or, in the case of F, J, and Q-2 nonimmigrants only, to Canada, Mexico or "adjacent islands other than Cuba.")
For details about automatic revalidation of visas, see:
- 22 CFR 41.112(d) (DOS regulation)
- 8 CFR 214.1(b) (DHS regulation)
- Automatic Revalidation (DOS web page)
- Automatic revalidation for certain temporary visitors (CBP Information Center)
- NAFSA Adviser's Manual, Section 11.B.7, Automatic revalidation of visas