D-1 Visa

The D-1 crewmen visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows crewpersons serving in good faith for normal operations aboard vessels docked temporarily in the United States. This classification includes musicians, stewards, technicians, and chefs.

You may temporarily remain in the U.S. for as long as you are a member of the crew. People who are traveling with the D-1 visa holder may remain in the U.S. for as long as the D-1 non-immigrant is allowed. Under certain circumstances, D-1 visa holders may be permitted to perform longshore work in the U.S. ports of entry.

Note: Crew employees traveling to the United States to join a commercial ship or airplane also file application for the D-1 Visa. Crew employee may receive an individual visa or may be included in a crew list visa.

Eligibility Criteria

All foreign crew members are eligible for a D-1 visa. The D-1 Visa is suitable for entertainers, pilots, flight attendants, air hostesses, electricians, waiters, and lifeguards who are employed on commercial vessels or airplanes.

Steps

There are several steps for you to apply for a visa. These steps may depend on how you complete them and may differ at the U.S. embassy or consulate where you apply. Instructions are available on the embassy or consulate website from where you can apply. An application for the D-1 visa must be filed at the U.S. Consulate abroad. Although requesting for landing privileges, you have to provide your application in person. The application must include the offer and all necessary documents, photographed and fingerprinted. This documentation is just to confirm that you are admissible under all appropriate immigration laws and prove that you are entitled to landing privileges in the U.S.

Documents

Certain documents required during an inspection are listed as below:

  • You will need to present copies of employer work records to the immigration officer.
  • In case of strike/lockout, you have worked for your employer for at least one year longer than the beginning of the strike/lockout.
  • Over this one-year period, you have worked as a crewman for your employer at least once in three different months.

Limitations

The limitations persistent for the D-1 visa are:

  • This visa does not apply to workers on U.S. fishing boats.
  • You are not allowed to change the status or extend your stay in the United States. Six months are required to re-apply for the visa.
  • You must land in and depart from the same port as a part of your crew duties.
  • The D-1 Visa expires when the visa holder departs the United States.
  • D-1 Visa holders are not allowed to bring dependents into the United States or study or work outside the scope of the visa.

 Durability

You may not apply for an extension of stay on D-1 visa and also not change the status while on this type of visa. To re-enter the United States you have to re-apply for the visa after six months. The applicant may be admitted into the U.S. for approximately 29 days.

Processing Time

For D-1 Visa, processing time is required approximately up to 3 business days only; however, in order to ensure timely delivery of the visa, applicants are recommended to file as soon as possible, and before any employment duties begin.

Spouse / Children

If your spouse/children intent to enter the United States for another purpose, then they must go for a different visa category according to the purpose of travel.

Necessary Information

There is no guarantee that you will be issued a visa. Do not get ready with final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa in hand. Unless canceled or dismissed, a visa remains valid until its expiration date. Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an extinct passport is still valid. If you have a valid visa in your extinct 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 to the United States.