U.S. Crew Visa

Posted by Avisa:   19.11.2020

The C1/D visa is for crew members of ships or an airline crew or who transit U.S. territorial waters or U.S. airspace. This nonimmigrant visa allows you to operate legally in the U.S., but only within a ship or aircraft.

            A U.S. C1/D visa is needed  if:

• You are a crew member of an aircraft on international flights.
• You are a crew member of a merchant ship.
• You are a crew member of a cruise liner.

            TheC1/Dvisaiscalled the "seaman visaintheUnitedStates"whichisissuedfor10years toUkrainiancitizens.Acrewmember with a C1/D visa willbeabletoenterthecountry an unlimitednumberoftimes andcanstayintheU.S.forupto29days on each entry.

            This type of C1/D visa not for traveling, visiting friends and relatives, or staying in the U.S. for vacation.  For such purposes, you need to open a B2 visa.

            If you have already opened a C1/D visa, you can apply for a B2 visa. If you plan to apply to the U.S. Embassy for a second visa in the future, you may apply for two visas at the same time. The consular fee for the two visas must be paid at the same time, however, the application form, DS-160, should be filled out just once. Please note that when you are applying for two types of visas, the U.S. Embassy will carefully check whether you have any immigration intentions.

            The following is how to get C1/D visa:

• Pay the consular fee.
• Collect all the necessary documents.
• Fill out the DS-160 visa application form.
• Be Interviewed at the U.S. Embassy.

      The process of obtaining a ship crew visa is quite painstaking.  By properly collecting documents and correctly completing the application form you will have done only half of the job.  The interview with visa officer will be an important part and will play a final role. During the interview, the applicant will need to prove to the visa officer that the purpose of the trip to the United States is only to transit on the ship, as well as the performance of the duties of a crew member. All your financial expenses must be covered by your employer and you   . Your stay in the U.S. will be short-term.

            The list of documents required to obtain a C1/D visa is as follows:

• A passport.
• A seaman’s ID book or an aircraft crew member's id card.
• A statement from the bank about your savings.
• Confirmation of the aircraft or ship's route.
• A valid contract or a work certificate.
• A list of crew members describing their role on the ship or aircraft.
• Other documents. Additional documents may be brought to the embassy, for example, documents proving your ties to your country of residence. However, a full list of documents can be drawn up only after consultation with a visa specialist.

            If you follow all our recommendations and have a full package of documents, there should be no problem  obtaining a C1/D visa. Nevertheless, it is a complicated and long process requiring attention to detail and knowledge of issues and nuances.  If you  have any questions or concerns, we highly recommend seeking the help of a specialist like Avisa.