Crewmember Visa

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence.  Crewmember (D) visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons working onboard commercial sea vessels or international airlines in the United States, providing services required for normal operation and intending to depart the United States on the same vessel or any other vessel within 29 days.  Crewmember (D-3) visas may be issued to persons performing ship-to-ship liquid cargo operations (lightering activities) to or from another vessel engaged in foreign trade and who will depart the United States within 180 days. If you travel to the United States to join the vessel you will work on, in addition to a crewmember (D) visa, you also need a transit (C) visa or a combination visa as explained below.

  • pilot or flight attendant on a commercial airplane
  • captain, engineer, or deckhand on a sea vessel
  • lightering crewmembers
  • lifeguard, cook, waiter, beautician, or other service staff on a cruise ship
  • trainee onboard a training vessel

 

You do not qualify for a Crewmember Visa if: You may be able to apply for the following visa category:

Dry Dock: The primary services you will perform are dry dock repairs under warranty while the boat is docked at a U.S. port.

B-1

Fishing Vessel: You are a crewmember on a temporary basis on a fishing vessel that has a home port or operating base in the United States.

H-2

Coasting Officer: You are a replacement coasting officer employed when an officer of a foreign vessel is granted home leave, and the vessel does not remain in U.S. waters for more than 29 days.

B-1

Private yacht: 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.

B-1

Outer Continental Shelf: You are a crewmember going to the Outer Continental Shelf.

B-1

Crewmembers Traveling to Meet Non-Lightering Vessels

If you travel to the United States to meet and board the vessel you will work on, you need a transit (C-1) visa. (This is in addition to the crewmember (D) visa required to work on the vessel.) The interviewing consular officer may request that you provide evidence you are transiting to meet the vessel, for example, a letter from your employer or employer's agent.

If you apply for the transit (C-1) visa at the same time as your crewmember (D) visa, you may be issued a combination C-1/D visa, if the reciprocity schedule for your country of citizenship allows for issuance of a C-1/D visa, and if the consular officer determines you are qualified. Select the country reciprocity schedules for more information.

Crewmembers Traveling to Meet Lightering Vessels

Lightering is the ship-to-ship transfer of liquid cargo to or from another vessel.  Eligible crewmembers temporarily landing in the United States to perform lightering activities for a period not to exceed 180 days may be issued a D-3 visa.  The consular officer may issue this in conjunction with a C-4 transit visa, which permits crewmembers to transit through the United States to join a vessel engaged in foreign trade and undertaking lightering activities for a period not to exceed 180 days.

How to Apply

There are several steps to apply for a visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you apply. Please consult the instructions available on the embassy or consulate website.

Complete the Online Visa Application

  • Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 – Learn more about completing the DS-160. You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.
  • Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. Your photo must be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Schedule an Interview

Interviews are generally required for visa applicants with certain limited exceptions below. Consular officers may require an interview of any visa applicant.

If you are age:

Then an interview is:

13 and younger

Generally not required

14-79

Required (some exceptions for renewals)

80 and older

Generally not required

You should schedule an appointment for your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. You may schedule your interview at another U.S. Embassy or Consulate but be aware that it may be more difficult to qualify for a visa outside of the country where you live.

Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa early. Review the interview wait time for the location where you will apply:

Appointment Wait Time

Check the estimated wait time for a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Note:  Please check the individual Embassy or Consulate website to determine if your case is eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview.

Applicants scheduling visa appointments in a location different from their place of residence should check post websites for nonresident wait times.


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Visa Wait Times
Nonimmigrant Visa Type Appointment Wait Time
Interview Required Students/Exchange Visitors (F, M, J) -- days
Interview Required Petition-Based Temporary Workers (H, L, O, P, Q) -- days
Interview Required Crew and Transit (C, D, C1/D) -- days
Interview Required Visitors (B1/B2) -- days
Interview Waiver Students/Exchange Visitors (F, M, J) -- days
Interview Waiver Petition-Based Temporary Workers (H, L, O, P, Q) -- days
Interview Waiver Crew and Transit (C, D, C1/D) -- days
Interview Waiver Visitors (B1/B2) -- days

Prepare for Your Interview

  • Fees - Pay the non-refundable visa application fee, if you are required to pay it before your interview. If your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee, if applicable to your nationality.  Fee information is provided below: 

$185


  • Review the instructions available on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply to learn more about fee payment.

Gather Required Documentation

Gather and prepare the following required documents before your visa interview:

  • Passport valid for travel to the United States - Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
  • Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page.
  • Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview
  • Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Additional Documentation May Be Required

A consular officer will interview you to determine your qualifications for a crewmember visa and may request additional documents. If transiting the United States to meet a vessel, be prepared to provide evidence you are transiting to meet the vessel, for example, a letter from your employer or your employer's agent.

Additional requested documents may include evidence of:

  • The purpose of your trip;
  • Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
  • Your ability to pay all costs of the trip. 

Evidence of your employment and/or your family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return to your home country. If you cannot cover all the costs for your trip, you may show evidence that another person will cover some or all costs for your trip.

Attend Your Visa Interview

A consular officer will interview you to determine whether you are qualified to receive a crewmember visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You must establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the visa in the category for which you are applying.

Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans are taken as part of the application process. They are usually taken during your interview, but this varies based on location.

After your visa interview, the consular officer may determine that your application requires further administrative processing. The consular officer will inform you if this is required.

After the visa is approved, you may need to pay a visa issuance fee (if applicable to your nationality), and make arrangements for the return of the passport and visa to you. Review the visa processing times to learn more.

Additional Information

  • You may apply for a crewmember visa without being employed at the time of your visa application. However, the crewmember visa may only be used for entry to a U.S. port if you are employed on the sea vessel or aircraft on which you arrive.
  • There is no guarantee that you will be issued a visa. Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa.
  • Non-lightering crewmember (D) visa holders must depart the United States on a vessel within 29 days, while crewmembers engaged in lightering activities (D-3) must depart within 180 days.  The United States is defined as including the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You are not considered to have departed the United States until the vessel you are on travels to international waters destined to a foreign port.
  • The operating base is where the vessel takes on supplies regularly, where the cargo of the vessel is sold, or where the owner or master of the vessel engages in business transactions. 
  • Spouse or Children -
    • Your spouse and unmarried, minor children may apply for visitor (B) visas to accompany you, if they will not perform services required for normal operation of the vessel.
    • If your spouse and/or children plan to enter the United States for another purpose, then they must apply for the visa category required for that purpose of travel. Review all visa categories.
  • A valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid. Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date. If you have a valid visa in your expired passport, do not remove it from your expired passport. You may use your valid visa in your expired passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.

Review Visa Denials for detailed information about visa ineligibilities and waivers.

Whether you are applying for the first time or renewing your visa, you will use the same application process (please review How to Apply, above).

You may reapply if you believe you have additional evidence of your qualifications for a crewmember visa, or you believe your circumstances have changed. Review Visa Denials to learn more.

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 United States.

Review Ineligibilities and Waivers: Laws

Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not require visas to enter the U.S. for the purpose of travel, as a crewmember. For more information see U.S. Embassy Ottawa websiteU.S. Consulate Hamilton website and CBP website.

  • Case-Specific Questions - Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate handling your visa application for status information. Select U.S. Embassy or Consulate for contact information.
  • General Questions - review Contact Us.