Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
Pilots or flight attendants on a commercial airline, captains, engineers, or deckhands on a sea vessel lifeguard, cooks, waiters, beauticians, or other service staff on a cruise liner and students on board a training vessel passing through the USA are examples of travel objectives that need Crewmember (D) Visas.
A foreign national seeking to enter the United States must first get a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for a temporary stay or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Crewmember (D) visas are nonimmigrant visas for people who work on board commercial sea vessels or international flights in the United States, providing services that are required for normal operation, and plan to leave the country on the same or another vessel within 29 days. In addition to a crewmember (D) visa, youll need a transit (C-1) visa or a combined C-1/D visa to travel to the United States to join the vessel youll be working on.
If any of the following apply to you then you must apply for the highlighted visa instead of a D-visa:
The following is the standard set of requirements for submitting a D-Visa application to the U.S. Embassy:
You will require a C1D visa which is a combination of the C1 transit visa and the D crewmember visa.
This visa does not enable you to work for a company in the United States. The C-1/D visa only allows you to remain in the United States for a limited time as part of your work on board.
A Visa is required for any foreign national wishing to enter the United States. It could be a non-immigrant visa for a short period of time or an immigrant visa for a long period of time. To enter the United States, foreigners must get a non-immigrant visa.
A D-Visa for crewmembers is a long-stay visa that allows crewmembers to stay in a country for more than 90 days. It is typically used for purposes such as working on a cruise ship or aircraft.
To get a D-Visa for crewmembers, You can submit your application here. The specific requirements for a crewmembers visa may vary, but once the required documentation is processed, an appointment can be made with the nearest embassy/consulate to you. Our team will assist you at all stages of this process.
With a C-1/D visa, you may remain in the United States for up to 180 days per entry, which you can do many times or all at once. Note that ship crew personnel are an exception to this rule.
A D-Visa is a long-stay visa that allows you to stay in a country for more than 90 days. A C-1/D Visa is a combination visa that allows you to transit through a country and also stay in that country for up to 29 days.
The processing time for a D-Visa for crewmembers in the United States can vary, but it is typically 1-3 months.
If you are denied a D-Visa for crewmembers in the United States, you will not be able to enter the country. You may be able to appeal the decision, but it is important to contact the embassy or consulate as soon as possible to discuss your options.
