Physicians can theoretically begin to travel when they have attained specialization in a given field of medicine. The last question is decided by the Directing Council, the Communist Party, and the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution. Prior to mid-1996, University staff seeking to travel to the U.S. requested permission to travel directly from the University Rector. It is assumed that the host party will cover all travel expenses. Each department s Party nucleus decides if the person invited to travel is in fact the appropriate person for the trip.
Academics reportedly have all of their international contacts restricted.
The University decides with whom they are allowed to meet. If the individual s field falls within the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and the Environment, he or she must receive a license to travel. Mission participants were told that the Foreign Ministry will not consider any request for travel to the U.S. unless it is received at least twenty-one days prior to the travel date. According to Ministry officials, the new licensing requirement for Cuban scientists has not limited their ability to travel. They estimate that in 1996 thirty-three licenses were granted.