Crewmember Visa

If you happen to be a globetrotter then the Crewmember Visa is just right for you.

Some people were just born to fly. Kanana, living in Nairobi, Kenya, was definitely one of them. From her earliest years she had known that with her looks, grace and poise, as well as her patience under the most trying circumstances, she would make a great hostess. And she meant air hostess.

She graduated from university with flying colors, along the way picking up the title Miss Kenya for her beauty and intelligence. She could have gone on to any career she wanted but her choice had always been clear to her. She applied to Kenya’s reputed national airline, Kenya Airways. It was a cinch — she was hired instantly.

Her dreams of globetrotting were about to come true. She underwent a period of ground level training in how to be a great air hostess. Following this, she was assigned first to domestic flights only, and then eased into trans-Africa flights. And she was loving every minute of it.

About eight months into her flying career, she was told that it was time for her to make her first Atlantic crossing, to the United States. Although there were several Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to the United States, she was required to fly to the US as a passenger to join as crew member on a flight leaving New York for Nairobi.

This was when she learned that the United States was one of very few countries that had a system of special visas designed for aviation and maritime workers, known as a Crewmember Visa D. In her case, because she would be traveling as a civilian first to join as a crew member in the US, she would need an additional visa called a C-1, also known as a transit visa. The combination C-1/D Crewmember Visa would allow her to enter the US as a civilian passenger and join work as an air hostess.

To be eligible for a D Crewmember Visa you must have a job and duties directly related to aviation or maritime activities. Examples are a pilot or 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 can get more information on the Crewmember Visa from the detailed, user-friendly visa guides you get when you buy one of our Visa Plans.

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