Uruguay opens residency pathway based on established ties for asylum applicants

Uruguay established a permanent-residency pathway based on established ties for foreign nationals whose asylum applications are pending or were denied. The measure could benefit thousands of Cubans who have waited years for a decision.

The decree, dated October 8, 2026, covers people who entered the country before January 1 of that year. Applicants with pending cases must expressly withdraw them; people who received a final denial may also apply.

At the end of June 2026, Uruguay had 30,715 unresolved asylum files, about 89 percent of them involving Cuban citizens, according to data from the Refugee Commission.

Residency is not automatic. Requirements include having entered legally through an authorized migration checkpoint, having no legal barrier to remaining in the country and lacking another route to regularize status. Applications may be filed for 12 months after the decree takes effect, with one possible extension for the same period.