As a result, President Obama directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce to advocate for the lifting of all restrictions on family visits and remittances, as well as for measures to facilitate greater contact between separated families in the United States and Cuba and to increase the flow of information and humanitarian resources directly to the Cuban people. The President has also asked the Cuban government to draft the charges it charges on money sent to the island for family members in order to ensure that they receive all the support that was sent to them. Specifically, the President has directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce to take the necessary steps to:
- Lift all restrictions on transactions related to travel to Cuba to visit relatives.
- Remove restrictions on remittances to their relatives in Cuba.
- Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into agreements to establish communications via fiber optic cable and satellite to unite the United States and Cuba.
- License telecommunications services to U.S. suppliers to enter into service agreements with telecommunications providers in Cuba.
- Grant satellite radio and satellite television licenses to U.S. service providers to participate in transactions necessary to provide services to customers in Cuba.
- License persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay for providers of telecommunications, radio satellite, and satellite television services for services provided to persons in Cuba.
- Authorize the donation of certain telecommunications equipment to the consumer without a license.
- Add some humanitarian items to the list of eligible items for export through licensing exceptions.
Lift all restrictions on family visits to Cuba
- The U.S. government will lift all restrictions on family visits to Cuba by authorizing travel on a general license,
- Define the family members that can be visited to people within the three degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) and allow individuals who share a common dwelling, with a traveler authorized to accompany them;
- Eliminate limitations on the frequency of visits;
- Remove the limitation on the duration of a visit;
- Authorize the expenses of amounts to be the same as non-family travel, and
- Remove the limitation of 44 pounds of accompanied baggage.
Remove restrictions on remittances
- Authorize remittances to individuals within the three degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins), provided that remittances are not authorized for members currently prohibited because they are members of the Government of Cuba or members of the Communist Party of Cuba;
- Elimination of limits on the frequency of remittances;
- Elimination of limits on the amount of remittances;
- Authorize travelers to transport up to $3,000 in remittances, and
- Establishment of a general licence for banks and other depository institutions transmitting remittances.
Authorize greater telecommunications links with Cuba
- Authorize U.S. telecommunications network providers to enter into agreements with Cuba to establish fiber optic cable and satellite telecommunications to unite the United States and Cuba.
- Grant satellite radio license to service providers in the U.S. to participate in operations necessary to provide services to customers in Cuba.
- Authorize licenses to persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to activate and pay for providers of telecommunications, radio satellite, and satellite television services in the U.S. and third countries for services provided to persons in Cuba, with the exception of some senior officials of the Communist Party of Cuba and government officials.
- Authorize, consistent with national security considerations, the export or re-export to Cuba of donations of personal communications equipment, such as mobile phone systems, computers and software, and satellite receivers through an exception license.
- Review the Gift Package Regulations
- Reinstatement to the list of items eligible to be included in a gift package of donations clothing, personal hygiene items, seeds, veterinary drugs, fishing equipment, soap making equipment.
- Restoration to the item list to be included in a gift package of certain items that are normally exchanged as gifts for people in "normal and reasonable" amounts;
- Allow anyone in the U.S. to give away or donate parcels;
- Allow anyone in Cuba, other than officials of the Communist Party of Cuba or cuban government officials already banned, to receive gift packages.
- Allow charitable, educational, or religious organizations, not administered or controlled by the Cuban government, to receive gift packages or donations; and
- Increase the value limit for non-food items to $800.
