The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") today is amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations ("CACR") to implement the President's initiative of April 13, 2009. These amendments to the CACR change the rules in three major areas, family visits, family remittances, and telecommunications, as well as make certain technical and conforming changes to the CACR. OFAC has issued a general license authorizing travel-related transactions for visits to "close relatives" (close relatives include, for example, aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins) who are nationals of Cuba. There is no limit on the frequency or duration such visits to "close relatives." OFAC has issued a general license easing restrictions on remittances (including from inherited blocked accounts) to "close relatives" who are nationals of Cuba. These amendments do not affect the prohibition on remittances to a "prohibited official of the Government of Cuba" or a "prohibited member of the Cuban Communist Party." Certain telecommunications services, contracts, related payments, and travel-related transactions are also authorized by general licenses. Pursuant to the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, which amended the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), these amendments authorize travel-related transactions incident to agricultural and medical sales under TSRA.
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