The Obama administration has lifted the Cuba travel restrictions enacted five years ago by President George W. Bush, meaning Cuban Americans can now visit their relatives on the island once a year -- for as long as they like.

In its 2009 budget bill, Congress took away the U.S. Department of Treasury's funding for enforcement of more restrictive rules that only allowed visits to immediate relatives once every three years.

That meant the trips were still illegal -- but the U.S. government did not have the funding to investigate it.

On Wednesday night, the Treasury department lifted the restrictions all together, making annual trips to Cuba legal. A rule posted on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's web site shows Cuban Americans can now follow the regulations that existed prior to Bush's June 2004 toughened rules.

The rollback also means people can visit more distant relatives, including those by marriage.

"I think it's another indication of the Obama administration's seriousness about reforming this policy toward Cuba," said Sarah Stephens, of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, a Washington, D.C. organization, which advocates Cuba travel. "I don't think this is the last you are going to hear from the administration."

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