Educational activities §515.565a applies to academic research specifically relating to Cuba for a graduate or undergraduate degree (for credit courses). This category comprises a dozen different potential activities and is intended for college, university and secondary school faculty school, staff, students & chaperones. As noted above, the educational license can be used on an independent basis by faculty and staff to research and prepare for student trips.
Family visits §515.561 Visiting a relative or family member in Cuba, or the relative of someone you share a common dwelling with as family. Read more on companions, but do take note that the rule states that “an entire group does not qualify for the general license in paragraph (a) of this section merely because some members of the group qualify individually”. The Sept. 21, 2015 rule adjustments allow families (by blood or household) to travel together as long as one member qualifies under a general license for Professional Research, Journalistic/Educational/Religious Activities or Humanitarian Projects. But if you’re not traveling as family (i.e. if you’re traveling with friends), then each individual member of your travel party (even minors) must qualify for a general license on his/her own.
Journalistic activity §515.563 Full-time journalistic activities for journalists employed by news reporting organizations or supporting broadcast or technical personnel or freelance journalists working on a journalistic project with documented previous experience. Free/recreational time should not exceed the full-time schedule for the activities to be undertaken for license compliance.
Humanitarian projects §515.575 Full-time schedule should include one or more of the following areas: “Medical and health-related projects; construction projects intended to benefit legitimately independent civil society groups; disaster preparedness, relief, and response; historical preservation; environmental projects; projects involving formal or non-formal educational training, within Cuba or off-island, on the following topics: Entrepreneurship and business, civil education, journalism, advocacy and organizing, adult literacy, or vocational skills; community-based grassroots projects; projects suitable to the development of small-scale private enterprise; projects that are related to agricultural and rural development that promote independent activity; microfinancing projects, except for loans, extensions of credit, or other financing prohibited by §515.208; and projects to meet basic human needs.”
Professional research and professional meetings §515.564 Professional research or attending professional meetings relating directly to your profession, area of expertise, or professional background, or area of expertise. Some travelers come to make documentary films, for example. Providing “it is a vehicle for presentation of the research conducted pursuant to this section”, making a documentary film in Cuba would qualify for this license category. Attending conferences, providing “the purpose of the meeting or conference directly relates to the traveler’s profession, professional background, or area of expertise, including area of graduate-level full-time study” would also result in category compliance. “For a traveler organizing a professional meeting or conference on behalf of an entity, either the traveler’s profession must be related to the organization of professional meetings or conferences or the traveler must be an employee or contractor of an entity that is organizing the professional meeting or conference”.
Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes §515.576 For this you’re your organization must have an “established interest in international relations to collect information related to Cuba for noncommercial purposes”.
Religious activities §515.566 Religious organizations, and their members and staff engaging in a full-time schedule of religious activities while in Cuba. Do take note of the restrictions on financial and material donations.
Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions §515.567
For amateur and semi-professional international sports federation competitions conditions include requirements that “the athletic competition in Cuba is held under the auspices of the international sports federation for the relevant sport; the U.S. participants in the athletic competition are selected by the U.S. federation for the relevant sport; and the competition is open for attendance, and in relevant situations, participation, by the Cuban public.
For public performances, clinics, workshops, other athletic or non-athletic competitions, and exhibitions conditions include that the event is open for attendance, and in relevant situations participation, by the Cuban public.
Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, & certain intergovernmental organizations §515.562