Married to a Cuban and living in Cuba (page 5 of 5)

Thanks Gigi! Yeah, I’m pretty up to speed on everything you’re telling me. For the appliances, the fridge is around 550 CUC at the Santa Lucia store, washers range from 230 CUC to 444 CUC, and the mattress is about 100 CUC, I think... For the TV, I have a small flat screen. I know a girl who’s been married to a Cuban for 6 years, and they often visit his parents in Santa Lucia. She told me she made fake invoices with logos for these items, and the tax came back to almost nothing. She wanted to give me a copy of her invoices (I need to find her email—I lost it 🤪). For luggage, I think I can fit everything into my suitcases and my family’s (my family is coming on vacation to bring supplies). I just got back from Sunwing, and I had the premium class for $40, which gave me 40 kilos total (10 kg carry-on) instead of 30 kilos (10 kg carry-on) in regular class. Cubana doesn’t have the same policy for Montreal and Toronto?! That’s so weird! I remember with them it’s 23 kg. If I have to go through Toronto, well, I’ll go!! No problem! For Quebec health insurance, I wouldn’t necessarily lose it. Yesterday, I checked their website, and there’s an exception for people who leave for more than 6 months at least every 7 years. In that case (since I only want to leave for 1 year), I’d still be covered. If I understood what I read correctly. The only thing: I won’t be able to manage without a car or transportation!?!?! Can I rent a car from Canadians living there?

Why $4,000–$5,000 to settle in?

Thanks Gigi! Yeah, I’m pretty aware of everything you’re telling me. For the appliances, the fridge is about 550 CUC at the Santa Lucia store, the washing machine ranges from 230 CUC to 444 CUC, and the mattress is around 100 CUC, I think... For the TV, I have a small flat screen. I know a girl who’s been married to a Cuban for 6 years, and they often visit his parents in Santa Lucia. She told me she made fake invoices with logos for these items, and the tax came to almost nothing. She wanted to give me a copy of her invoices (I need to find her email—I lost it🤪). For luggage, I think I can fit everything in my suitcases and my family’s (my family will come on vacation to bring supplies). I just got back with Sunwing, and I had the premium class for $40, which gave me 40 kilos total (10 kg carry-on) instead of 30 kilos (10 kg carry-on) in regular class. Cubana doesn’t have the same policy for Montreal and Toronto?! That’s so weird! I remember with them it’s 23 kg. If I have to go through Toronto, well, I’ll go!! No problem! As for Quebec’s health insurance, I won’t necessarily lose it. Yesterday, I checked their website, and there’s an exception for people who leave for more than 6 months at least every 7 years. In that case (since I only want to leave for 1 year), I’d still be covered. If I understood what I read correctly. The only thing: I won’t be able to manage without a car or transportation!?!?! Can I rent a car from Canadians living there?

Why $4,000–$5,000 to settle in?

You can always rent a car from someone there, but it won’t be legal... So if you have an accident, a problem, or get stopped by the police...🤪 And I don’t know which Canadian you could rent a car from... those who have a work permit and legally own a car need it for work. Other Canadians or foreigners who have a car in the area don’t have it legally... So you’d have to illegally rent a car that’s illegally owned by someone!😛 There might be an Italian living in Camaguey who often goes to the Gran Club and could help you out, but I can’t guarantee anything...

Just a little personal opinion... There aren’t really Canadians living in Cuba... There are foreigners working there long-term, people who spend a lot of time in Cuba, who go often, but legally, when you have no rights in a country, you’re always a tourist, and you have to leave every 6 months max, I don’t consider that living in a country...

For the RAMQ, make sure you check properly—I’m not sure it applies without a work contract from a Canadian organization... What I do know is that my cousin just came back from a 2-year stay abroad, and she had to go through the 3-month wait without RAMQ for herself and the kids when they returned... You’d better call...

For the $4,000–$5,000, well, if you count 2,000 CUC for electronics (but you told me around 1,200 CUC. Be careful—send your husband to buy them, the price might be better!!! And check out Camaguey, you’ll have more options😉), excess baggage fees, customs fees, finishing the bathroom (we did it—it’s not cheap...), your medical insurance and repatriation for 1 year in Cuba, and if you add your round-trip ticket after 6 months (and that’s if immigration allows it) plus the 40 CUC for the A2 every 3 months, and the unfavorable exchange rate these days... We’re not far off...

And for Cubana, yes, it’s different between Montreal and Toronto. From Toronto, it’s 2 suitcases of 23 kg in regular class, probably more in tropical class. And flights are often cheaper, so it might be worth it...

Thanks again, Gigi! For the car, I know a Canadian woman who lives in Cuba. She lives there permanently and doesn’t work there—she has a business here in Canada. She and her partner have two cars, which are actually hers, and she has her residence. So I was thinking of her, asking her about it. I’ll let you know—my brain is working overtime! I’m considering all the options. For the RAMQ, it’s clearly written on their site under the exceptions: Two other exceptions Two other situations may allow a person to leave Quebec for 183 days or more in a calendar year and keep their right to the health insurance benefits. A person who leaves Quebec for more than 183 days in the same calendar year, provided this absence occurs only once every seven years.

Thanks again, and if you have any other ideas, let me know. I don’t know the Italian in Camagüey... Maybe he actually does diving? I also know an English guy who lives in the area. He told me it’s tough to get a car!🤪

About the 4000-5000, you’re right—I didn’t realize you were including the tickets... And I just found out the VisaA2 is only for 3 months!!! Darn!

Hi Lyne,

Is it possible to get a temporary visa so my Cuban boyfriend can come here for a few weeks?

Is it easier if we’re married?

(After the wedding, is it possible to bring him here without getting into the sponsorship process?)

Thanks!

Temporary visa approval is nearly impossible. For us, it was refused twice on the grounds that my partner didn’t have valid reasons to return to Cuba.

Everyone I know who tried the process ended up disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend applying—lots of money and energy wasted for nothing.

We’re stuck in the system, unfortunately.

Good luck anyway

Hey clocloo

I went through the same path as you, and if I could give you one piece of advice, listen to your heart and keep your relationship going. If you can, don’t hesitate to visit often to make sure the person you’re with is sincere, and don’t listen to the frustrated people or those who don’t know anything—those venomous tongues will do everything to ruin your story.

For my part, I’ve been married to a Cuban woman for 6 years, and I had all my "friends," relatives, and other people from my country (France) telling me that Cuban women are all gold-diggers looking to marry for a visa, and that Cubans are just dishonest people who only think about fleeing by any means possible. Sure, that exists—I’ve seen plenty of 25-year-old Cubans marrying women over 50—but who’s the idiot in that situation? What I wanted to say to those people on the forum is that they should stop making generalizations. There are dishonest people, freeloaders, jerks, or whatever you want to call them—just as much in Cuba as in France, Thailand, or anywhere else.

As for me, I didn’t listen to anyone, and ever since I got married, those same people completely changed their tune and now even claim there’s no one better than her. Pfft!!

Since then, I’ve met a lot of Franco-Cuban couples who’ve been married for years, started families in France, and are very happy.

What’s certain is that when you marry a Cuban, you have to think about helping their family, but it’s up to you to set boundaries. But that bothers a lot of people in the West because, unfortunately, the word "family" barely exists here, and giving a little of your money to help people in need really stings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, even if you only go there once every two years. And generally, Cubans are happy with little and show their gratitude and joy, unlike here, where people almost frown when you give them a gift because they’re so jaded.

What’s for sure is that the warmth, sense of family, values, and non-aggressiveness I’ve gained from the Cuban people have given me more than just living for material things, money, and selfishness.

Anyway, I wish you lots of happiness.

Hasta luego

I don’t know where you stand after all this time, but just so you know, I married a Cuban in 2000, despite all the so-called "friendly warnings" from my family and friends... for the same reasons as you: "he just wants to get out of his country," "you’ll see how he acts once he gets his papers," etc. My husband didn’t want to leave Cuba, so I tried to find work there. I got job offers with a Cuban salary plus an amount in dollars—the positions were interesting and allowed for a comfortable life in Cuba. Still, even with that, I couldn’t afford to visit my family once a year (flight ticket prices). So I gave up after 6 months, and it was my husband who followed me, even though it wasn’t his initial choice... He’s still with me, we’ve been married for 26 years, and it’s been the best decision of my life, against all odds. Since then, I’ve applied for residency in Cuba (I’ve had it since 2016). Cubans don’t grant citizenship—you have to be born there or be named Che Guevara to get it!! But residency gives the same rights. I bought an apartment in my name, travel there whenever I want without a visa, and can work in any field. Another "pseudo-certainty" debunked: my husband has a large family (9 siblings and a ton of nieces and nephews). Never, not once, has anyone asked or demanded anything from us... When we know they can’t find something important locally (like solar lamps, for example), we bring some to give as gifts, but it’s always voluntary, without any request, and we’ve never felt any pressure, even though life there has been particularly tough in recent years. Cubans still have a sense of honor—not all of them, just like anywhere else, but many do... When we’re there and invite them for lunch, they always bring something. And they do us big favors—when we’re not there, they look after our apartments, clean them, help with administrative tasks, etc. In short, it’s a loving and attentive family, not at all "interested." I’m sorry to hear that some people have had bad experiences, but they’re not the only ones—there are positive stories too, but no one talks about them!!