Crewmember Visas

Glossary

Overview

A crewmember serving on board a sea vessel or aircraft in the United States (U.S.) needs a crewmember (D) visa.

Qualifying for a Crewmember Visa

Crewmember applicants must meet specific requirements to qualify for a Crewmember (D) visa under immigration law. The consular officer will determine whether you qualify for the visa. You:

  • Must provide services that are required for normal operation on board a sea vessel or aircraft (for example, a lifeguard or beautician on board a luxury liner or a flight attendant on a commercial airplane).
  • Do not have to be employed when you apply for your visa, as long as you are employed on the sea vessel or aircraft on which you arrive in the U.S.
  • May be a trainee on board a training vessel.

Also, you must intend to depart from the U.S. on the same vessel or any other vessel within 29 days. Please be advised that departure is defined by immigration law as leaving a U.S. port destined for a foreign port. “United States” is defined as including the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, neither the vessel nor you have “departed” under immigration law, if the vessel travels to international waters but does not clear or enter a foreign port.

Note: The nationality of the vessel on which you are employed does not have any impact on the consular officer's decision of whether you qualify for the visa.

Travelers Who Do Not Qualify for Crewmember Visas

You do not qualify for a crewmember (D) visa, and another type of visa is required, if:

  • Dependent Spouse or Child- You are a dependent of a crewmember and are not performing services required for normal operation of the vessel. You must obtain a B-2 visa. If you plan to enter the U.S., you may require a different visa classification depending on the purpose of your travel in the U.S.
  • U.S. Home Port- The home port or “operating base” of the vessel is the U.S. (excluding American Samoa). The “operating base” of a vessel is where the vessel regularly receives supplies, where the owner engages in business, or where the cargo is sold. Vessels can have multiple “operating bases.”
  • Dry Dock- The primary services you will perform are “dry dock” repairs while the boat is docked at a U.S. port. A B-1 visa may be appropriate, but this would be determined by a Consular Officer during your visa interview.
  • Fishing Vessel- You are a crewmember on a fishing vessel that has a home port or operating base in the U.S. You will need an H-2 temporary worker visa or an immigrant visa.
  • Coasting Officer- You are a coasting officer employed when an officer of a foreign vessel is granted home leave while the vessel is in U.S. ports. A replacement, or coasting officer, substitutes for the officer on leave during the period the vessel is in and out of various U.S. ports, provided the vessel does not remain in U.S. waters for more than 29 days and that the original officer returns in time to depart with the vessel. Coasting officers need B-1 visas.
  • Private Yacht Crewmember- You are a crewmember on a private yacht sailing out of a foreign port which will be cruising in U.S. waters for more than 29 days. You will need a B-1 visa.
  • Outer Continental Shelf Crewmember- You are a crewmember going to the Outer Continental Shelf. You will need a B-1 visa.

How to Apply for a Crewmember Visa

As part of the visa application process, an interview with a Consular Officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate is required for visa applicants age 14 through age 79. Persons age 13 and younger and age 80 and older generally do not require interviews, unless requested by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Wait times for interview appointments for applicants can vary, so you are encouraged to apply early for your visa. Wait times for interview appointments and visa processing time information for each U.S. Embassy or Consulate worldwide are available on our website at Visa Wait Times and on most embassy or consulate websites. During the visa application process, usually at the interview, ink-free digital fingerprint scans will be taken. Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant's interview with a Consular Officer. For information on how to schedule an interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for your visa, please visit their specific U.S. Embassy or Consulate website.

Required Documents

Each applicant for a visa must submit these forms and documents as explained below:

  • DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application. Learn more about the DS-160 Online process.
  • Passport valid for travel to the U.S.and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the U.S. (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). If more than one person is included in the passport, each person desiring a visa must make an application.
  • One (1) 2x2 photograph. See the required photo format explained in Photograph Requirements.

What Are the Required Visa Fees?

  • Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee:For current nonimmigrant visa services fees, select Fees. You will need to provide a receipt showing the visa application processing fee has been paid when you come for your visa interview.
  • Visa issuance fee:If the visa is issued, there may be an additional visa issuance reciprocity fee, if applicable. This is determined by your country of citizenship. Please consult the Visa Reciprocity Tables to find out if you must pay a visa issuance reciprocity fee and the fee amount due.

Additional Documents and Next Steps

You should refer to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website in your country of residence to find out about visa processing time frames and instructions, learn about interview scheduling, and find out if there are any additional documents required. Learn more by contacting the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

What if I Am a Passenger Traveling to Meet the Vessel on Which I Work?

You will need a transit (C-1) visa. You may apply for a C-1 visa with a verifying letter from your employer or your employer’s agent. If you apply for the transit (C-1) visa at the same time as your crewmember (D) visa, you may be granted a combination C-1/D visa, if the reciprocity schedule for your country of citizenship allows for issuance of a C-1/D visa. View the country reciprocity schedules for more information.

Additional Information

  • You may apply for a crewmember (D) visa without being so employed at the time of your visa application. However, the crewmember (D) visa may only be used for entry to the U.S. port if you are employed on the sea vessel or aircraft on which you arrive.
  • We recommend that you apply for your visa well in advance of your proposed travel date. No assurances regarding visa issuance can be given in advance. Therefore, you should not make final travel plans or purchase non-refundable tickets until your visa has been issued.
  • Unless previously canceled, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, if you have a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport, do not remove it from the expired passport. You may continue to use it in the expired passport, along with a new valid passport, for travel and admission to the U.S.

Misrepresentation of Material Facts or Fraud

Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud, may result in the permanent refusal of a visa or denial of entry into the U.S.

Visa Ineligibilities and Waivers

Certain conditions and activities may make you, the applicant, ineligible for a U.S. visa. The Consular Officer will inform you if you are ineligible for a visa, whether there is a waiver for the ineligibility, and what the waiver process is. See Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas for more information.

Visa Denials

If the Consular Officer denies you a visa, you may apply again if there is new evidence to overcome the basis for the refusal. See Visa Denials for more information. Consular Officers are not required to re-examine such cases if there is no new evidence.

Entering the U.S. - Port of Entry

A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the U.S. port of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. You should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authority to permit or deny admission to the U.S. Travelers should review important information about admissions and entry requirements on the CBP website under Travel.

Staying Beyond Your Authorized Stay in the U.S. and Being Out of Status

  • Crewmember (D) visa holders are not able to apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to change status, adjust status, or extend their stay in the U.S., under immigration law. See the USCIS website under Change My Nonimmigrant Status,  Extend Your Stay, and Adjustment of Status to Permanent Resident to learn more.
  • It is important that you depart the U.S. on or before the last day you are authorized to be in the U.S. on any given trip, based on the specified end date on your Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94. Failure to depart the U.S. will cause you to be out-of-status.
  • Staying beyond the period of time authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and being out-of-status in the U.S. are violations of U.S. immigration laws. These violations may cause you to be ineligible for a visa in the future for return travels to the U.S. Select Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas to learn more.
  • Staying unlawfully in the U.S. beyond the date CBP officials have authorized, even by one day, results in your visa being automatically voided, in accordance with immigration law (section 222(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act). In this situation, you will be required to reapply for a new nonimmigrant visa, generally in your country of nationality.

Further Questions

  • Before submitting your inquiry, we request that you carefully review this website. Often, answers to questions are easily found which enables us to help other applicants in need of assistance. Due to the volume of inquiries, Visa Services cannot promise an immediate reply to your inquiry.
  • If your inquiry concerns a visa case in progress overseas, you should first contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate handling your case for status information.
  • Visa Services’ contact information is available at How to Contact Us.