Business Specialty Visa Plan CrewMember D visa

CrewMember D visa

Working on a plane or ship can be both one of the most exciting and most frustrating jobs to have. It is exciting because you get to travel all over the world to different cities and ports, but frustrating because you cannot really enjoy too much of the places you visit — because you are on duty. In fact, as a crew member with a plane or seagoing vessel, the visa you are eligible for ensures that your stay is just a few days in duration, long enough for you to disembark, take a brief rest and then board the next plane or ship.

There are two types of visas typically available to crew members. The D visa allows you to go through the United States working as a crew member. This applies typically to people working on board planes or commercial vessels which may pass through the US making several stops.

If you are required to travel to the US first in order to board the plane or vessel whose crew you belong to, then you will also need a C-1 visa, better known as a ‘transit visa’. A C-1 visa must be used for ‘immediate and continuous transit’, meaning that the visa holder must have a pre-decided itinerary and intend to travel pretty quickly through the USA without any unreasonable layovers to connect with his designated plane or vessel.

Depending on the nature of the specific visit, a combination C-1/D visa may be issued, allowing crew members to join their vessels or aircrafts in the US and work on them for up to 29 days. Note that as a crew member you may be issued a longer term visa valid for a year or two or more, and that your job may require you to travel to the US several times a month as a crew member. However, no single visit can last more than 29 days.

Who is eligible for a C-1/D visa?

You are eligible for C-1/D visa if you are a pilot or a flight attendant on a commercial airplane; a captain, an engineer, or a deckhand on a sea vessel; a lifeguard, a cook, a waiter, a beautician, or another type of service staff on a cruise ship; or a trainee on board a training vessel.

You may be eligible for a D visa even if you are not employed at the time of the application. However, you will not be able to use the visa until you are employed.

Who is not eligible for a D visa? Well, family members of D visa holders, for one. They’d just have to get to the US on Visitor visas like every other tourist. Also ineligible for the D visa are —

Fishing vessel employees;

Private yacht crew members who will be in the US for over 29 days;

Dry dock workers making repairs to a vessel docked at a US port;

Crew members going to the Outer Continental Shelf;

Replacement ‘coasting officers’ who are brought in when an officer of a foreign vessel departs on home leave.

Crew members from Canada and Bermuda are exempt from the D visa.

How long can you stay in the US on a C-1/D visa?

The C-1/D visa is valid for a maximum of 29 days. In addition, it comes with several restrictions on what you may do while in the United States. For example —

You may not extend your stay.

You may work for any company except the vessel or airline you were in.

You may not join a study program.

You may not change your visa status.

You may not apply for a Green Card.

You must enter and leave the US from the same dock or airport.

You may not take on longshore work.

How do you apply for a C-1/D visa?

Applying for a C-1/D visa is one of the least complicated of US visa application processes. The steps are described below —

1. Apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa online through form DS-160: You can apply online for a Non-Immigrant Visa, called Form DS-160. To do this efficiently and successfully, keep the following at hand before going online —

– Your passport, with at least 6 months validity

– A visa photograph (to upload). Make sure the photograph conforms to US Immigration photo specifications

In addition, you may need to supply:

– A travel itinerary

– The dates of your last five visits to the US (if applicable) and/or evidence of your international travel history within the past five years

– A resume or CV

– The US Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for an interview

– Additional information depending on your purpose for travel

More information about filling out the DS-160 form is available online. Remember to print out the DS-160 application confirmation page after completing the form. You will need it at the interview.

2. Pay the visa application fee: This is $160 for the C-1/D visa, and can be paid online. Be sure to print out a receipt confirming your payment. You will need it at the visa interview later. In some countries, this fee is payable at the time of your interview, and in others it must be paid in advance.
3. Find your nearest US Embassy or Consulate. You can find the address online or by checking the global list of US Embassies and Consulates. Make a note of the address. You will need it in the next step.
4. Schedule your visa interview. Contact the US Embassy or Consulate nearest to you, preferably the one you named on the DS-160 form, and schedule your interview. Since different embassies have different waiting periods, check at the embassy’s website to find out how long you’ll have to wait.
5. Gather the necessary documents. You will need the following —

• Passport with validity for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay
• Visa interview appointment letter
• Photograph. Some embassies may require a copy, especially if you were unable to upload an appropriate one while applying. A complete description of the format requirements is here.
• DS-160 confirmation page
• DS-160 visa application fee receipt: Required only if the fee was paid prior to your interview)
• Letter from your employer with the details listed below, depending on whether you work for an airline or a seafaring vessel —

FOR AIRLINE CREW

• An original, signed letter from the airline with the following
  • Confirmation that you are employed with the company
  • The period you will be in the US
  • Name of the vessel
  • Date and port of entry
  • Date and port of exit
  • Job position
  • Your salary while you are in the US
  • Nature and function of the crewmember’s position
  • Purpose of travel

FOR CREW OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS

• An original, signed letter from the employer on company letterhead addressed to the US Consulate or Embassy with the following:
  • Confirmation that you are employed with the company
  • The period you will be in the US
  • Name of the vessel
  • Date and port of entry
  • Date and port of exit
  • Job position
  • Your salary while you are in the US
  • Nature and function of the crewmember’s position
  • Purpose of travel
  • Local agent’s name and address in the U.S.
  • Copies of employer work records
  • Continuous Discharge Certificate Card
  • Documents like the Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), letter of employment and travel authorization from the Shipping Company or Agent, and certificates establishing the seaman’s qualifications are also recommended.
  • Travel authorization from your company
  • Certificates and diplomas verifying your qualifications;
• Certificate stating that you do not have prior convictions.
• Proof of ties to your home country such as family documents, job contract, lease, or property deed, which prove you do not intend to stay in the U.S longer than 29 days
• Medical documents proving you are in good health
• Documents proving you have no past criminal record

6. Go for the visa interview. This is a fairly straightforward visa so the visa interview is most likely not going to be an ordeal. The visa officer may request additional documents at his or her discretion and these requirements may vary from country to country.

How much does a C-1/D visa cost?

There can be up to three costs for getting a C-1/D visa —

D visa application fee: This must be paid before the visa interview, and costs $160.

DS-160 Non-Immigrant Visa Application processing fee: This is currently US$ 160 but may be subject to change. Check with the local US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date fees.

Visa Issuance fee: In some countries, an additional Visa Issuance fee may be charged when the visa is issued. Check with the local US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date fees.

Need more help?

If you still feel that you would like to have professional help in making your application or would like to consult a lawyer who specializes in immigration and visa matters, you can explore some of your options, including how to access our exclusive list of professional immigration lawyers.

If you have questions or would like clarifications, please send us an email and we’ll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours with an answer.