D Crew Visa: US Visa for Airline and Ship Crew Members

You need a D visa if you work on board a commercial sea vessel or an international aircraft, you are needed for its normal operation or service, and you will leave the United States on the same vessel or another one. Examples:

• Pilots, flight attendants, and other airline crew on international routes
• Captains, officers, engineers, and deckhands on cargo ships
• Cruise ship staff such as cooks, cleaners, waiters, entertainers, and lifeguards
• Trainees on board training vessels

Crew members from Visa Waiver Program countries cannot use an ESTA to work as crew. They also need a D or C-1/D visa. Canadian citizen crew members are generally visa-exempt.

Airline crew who only arrive and depart on their own scheduled flights usually need a D visa, and those who first travel as passengers to position for a flight usually need a C-1/D. Your airline's crew department normally tells you which one to request.

The D visa is only for normal crew duties on a vessel or aircraft that travels internationally. It generally does not cover:

• Workers doing repairs while a ship is in dry dock
• Crew on fishing vessels with a home port or operating base in the United States
• Crew on ships that carry passengers or cargo only between US ports (US law reserves most of this for US vessels)
• Workers on offshore oil platforms on the Outer Continental Shelf
• Crew on a private yacht that will stay in US waters for more than 29 days (they usually need a B-1 visa)
• Anyone who plans to leave the ship and work on land

These workers usually need a different visa, such as a work visa in the H-2B or other employment category. Ask the consulate if your job is unusual.

Most cruise and shipping lines ask new crew to apply for the combined C-1/D visa, since many crew fly in to meet their ship.

When your ship or plane arrives, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer decides whether to give you shore leave. Crew members are admitted in one of two ways:

• D-1: you leave on the same vessel or aircraft you arrived on
• D-2: you leave on a different vessel or aircraft (for example, you are joining another ship or flying home)

Either way, your time ashore cannot exceed 29 days. While ashore you may rest, shop, and see the port area. You cannot work on land, take another job, study, or stay after your vessel leaves.

You cannot extend a D stay, change to another visa status, or apply for a green card from inside the United States as a crew member. There is no dependent D visa; family members who want to visit need their own B-2 visas.

Bring these to your interview, and carry the originals when you travel:

• A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned stay (some nationalities are exempt)
• Your DS-160 confirmation page and fee receipt
• A letter from your employer or manning agency that names you, your job title, the vessel or airline, and your contract dates
• Your seaman's book, crew license, or airline crew ID
• A copy of your employment contract

At the port, CBP checks your crew list entry and your documents before granting shore leave. Keep your employer's contact details with you in case a CBP officer has questions. If your ship's schedule changes and you might be ashore close to 29 days, tell your employer and CBP before your time runs out.

Some employers pay or reimburse these fees, so check your contract. Be careful with manning agencies that charge large recruitment fees; read our guide on scam protection.

Proclamation 10998, in effect since January 1, 2026, suspends all nonimmigrant visas, including D and C-1/D, for nationals of 19 fully restricted countries, subject to limited exceptions. For the 20 partially restricted countries, the listed nonimmigrant categories are B, F, M, and J, so crew visas are not among them. Visas issued before January 1, 2026 were not revoked.

• No real crew job: missing or unclear employment letter, or a job that does not qualify as normal crew duties
• Doubt you will leave: the officer believes you plan to stay in the United States (section 214(b))
• Past violations: leaving a ship without permission in the past, overstaying, or working without authorization
• False information: inconsistencies between your DS-160, contract, and interview answers

Leaving your ship and staying in the United States has serious consequences, including removal and long bars on returning. If you have had immigration problems before, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before you apply. See visa denials and waivers.