( CNN ) -- Cubans used to have to clear numerous hurdles to leave their island . But that is to change in a few days , much to the joy of people like Ernesto Garcia . `` It completely surprised us , '' the Havana resident said of Cuba 's new travel policy , announced last fall and set to take effect Monday . `` This great news is taking away a load our shoulders . '' So does this mean all Cubans can pack their bags , destined for wherever ? Not necessarily . After weeks in which passport applications surged and just days before the new policy takes affect , Cuba this week `` began to increase the information about the update announced last October , '' according to a story from the state-run Prensa Latina News Agency . Specifically , the Labor and Social Security Ministry defined categories of Cubans whose travel would be restricted . They include those who may be `` criminally prosecuted , are subject to military service or ( are denied ) for reasons of defense and national security . '' `` Also on the list are citizens who have obligations with the state or are not authorized under rules designed to preserve the skilled workforce and protect official information , '' read the Presna Latina story . It 's not clear , exactly , how sweeping these restrictions will be or why they were announced this week . Col. Lambert Fraga , deputy chief of Cuba 's immigration department , explained the government would exercise its prerogative `` to protect the scientific , professional and technical fields , as well as key athletes who help the socio-economic development of the country . '' Such restrictions are necessary , Fraga told Prensa Latina , `` to defend the supreme interests of society . '' And even with them , the Cuban official said he expected `` most applications will have a positive response . '' When announced October 16 , the new policy promised to make things easier for would-be Cuban travelers . They 'd no longer need an exit permit or an invitation letter from someone in the country they were heading , nor would they have to pay about $ 200 to process paperwork , state media reported . With a parent or legal guardian 's permission , children under 18 would now be able to travel abroad . They would be able to be off the island as long as 24 months -- not 11 , as was previously the case -- and remain a Cuban citizen . This gives people a chance to obtain and keep longer better-paying jobs outside Cuba , where the average monthly income works out to about $ 20 U.S . Instead , they 'd only need a valid passport and an entry visa for the country where they were headed . But while Cuba wo n't grant exit visas any longer , it appears the country can deny passports . A story Friday in the state-run Granma newspaper criticized what it called the U.S. `` hostile policy toward Cuba '' that contributed to `` brain drain , '' claiming many Cuban doctors and other professionals had emigrated at their home nation 's expense . Illeana Sorolla , head of the University of Havana 's Center for the Study of International Immigration , called out Washington 's preference for `` more skilled people , '' while Granma also said U.S. immigration policies favor activists or others who advocate change in Cuba . The U.S. State Department weighed in Friday , with spokeswoman Victoria Nuland noting Cuban citizens still need a valid U.S. visa or entry authorization to legally get into the United States , whatever Cuba 's policy is . At the same time , she insisted all Cubans -- whatever their skill set or background -- should have the same right to travel . `` The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that every individual has the right to leave any country , including his/her own , and the right to return , '' Nuland said . `` The United States welcomes any reforms that allow Cubans to depart from and return to their country freely . '' CNN 's Adriana Hauser contributed to this report .
Cuba says its citizens wo n't an exit permit or invitation from another country . The new law , which takes effect Monday , also does away with fees that can run to $ 1 . This week , Cuban state media detailed restrictions , including for ` ` national security '' reasons . The aim ` ` to preserve the skilled workforce , '' which includes engineers and scientists .