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Crew members of international airlines or personnel on merchant and cruise ships take note: If you are traveling to the USA for a limited period of time, i.e. as part of your work on board, you will need a so-called C-1/D visa. We describe below the specifics of this work visa.

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What is the C-1D visa?

The C-1/D visa allows crew members or personnel of international airlines or (cruise) ships within the scope of their activity on board to enter the US for a temporary stay.

Bild von einem Schiff in den USA mit C-1D Crew

The C-1/D visa is the most issued visa for:

  • flight attendants
  • captains
  • pilots
  • technicians
  • ship and service personnel
  • all other employees for use on board a ship or aircraft such as entertainers, beauticians, musicians etc.
Tip:

For individuals who are not employed as crew members, B-1 visas can be applied for under certain conditions. This includes crew members who are responsible for maintenance on the dry dock and can show a work agreement for this activity. Those who work on a private yacht also need a B-1 visa.

What are the requirements for the C-1/D visa?

Temporary stay in the USA

For the approval of this visa category, it is necessary to prove that the activity on board a ship or aircraft is part of normal operations. Crew members who are in US waters or US airspace with their C-1/D visa must enter the USA after 29 days at the latest departure. The US authorities define a departure as a ship leaving a US port for a port outside the USA (the USA includes not only the mainland but also Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands).

Proof of activity as a crew member

In order to obtain a C-1/D visa, travelers should ideally be on the crew list of the airline or ship as a crew member. In addition, a letter from the employer confirming the employment relationship with the airline or (cruise) ship must be available. Applicants may not receive any remuneration from the US side or a US company.
Tip: At the time of application itself, the person does not have to be employed yet, but a contract should be available that confirms the future employment on board.

Evidence of the intention to return

In concrete terms, this means that C-1/D applicants retain their permanent residence outside the USA and only intend to travel to the United States for a temporary stay. Evidence is required here (real estate, other jobs, etc.) that proves a connection to the home country.

Validity of the C-1 visa

The validity period of a C-1/D visa depends on the nationality of the applicant. On the basis of the so-called reciprocity schedule depending on the nationality, it is decided for which validity period the visa will be issued.

For example, for German nationals, the C-1/D visa is normally issued for 10 years issued. This means that a new visa would only have to be applied for again after the ten years have expired.

Duration of stay in the USA

With a C-1/D visa, a maximum stay in the United States of up to 29 days per entry allowed; either several times in a row or in one piece.

Note

With this visa, you are not permitted to work for a US employer. The C-1/D visa only permits temporary stays in the USA as part of your work on board.

C-1D visa application

Application procedure

As a rule, applicants must appear in person at one of the relevant US consulates as part of an interview appointment. In Germany, for example, you can apply for a C-1/D visa at the US consulate in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main or Munich. In addition to the general application documents, you should submit documents relating to your employment, purpose of entry and other evidence of your intention to return. The application is usually made at the US consulate of the country in which the applicant lives.

Application duration

The processing time depends very much on the waiting time until the interview appointment. The availability of visa interview appointments also depends on the respective consulate or the season. You should therefore allow around four to eight weeks for a C-1/D application. Approximately one week after the successful interview at the US consulate, the employee will receive the passport and C-1/D visa by mail.

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We advise you on the choice of the appropriate visa category and take over the complete processing for you or your company.

  1. First contact: We clarify which visa or which visa types are applicable in your case.
  2. Worldwide support: We will assist you with your request, no matter where you are located.
  3. Assignment: We send your HR department and the respective employees all the necessary documents and checklists.
  4. Visa processing: We take care of checking, correcting and compiling the application documents.
  5. Visa Interview Preparation: We will disburse the visa application fee for you and arrange the visa interview appointment. In addition, each applicant will be prepared by telephone for the formalities and procedures at the US Consulate.
  6. Visa issuance: We check your visa for accuracy and prepare your employees for entry into the USA by telephone.
Frequently asked questions about the C-1/D visa

The fees for applying for a visa vary considerably depending on the category and may regularly increase or decrease, also as a result of exchange rate fluctuations. Therefore, every applicant should inform himself about the current fees before applying.

The application for a U.S. visa must be made through the official U.S. authorities, e.g. the U.S. consulates and U.S. embassies. The actual visa application is placed online, but almost every applicant must go to the consulate in person for a visa interview. With some work visas, it is sometimes necessary to send extensive files by mail to the U.S. authorities in the USA prior to the consular application procedure.
We advise and support companies and private individuals in all matters relating to visa applications. Read more about the requirements, duration and costs of a visa application

A U.S. work visa is always tied to a specific U.S. company. In turn this means that you must have a specific employer in the United States before you can apply for a work visa.

The application process begins with the U.S. company that wants to hire you. The U.S. employer submits the petition either to the USCIS or to the responsible U.S. consulate. Since the application for a temporary work permit is made by the company for a future foreign employee, the U.S. employer is therefore the so-called petitioner, which means the official applicant. The future employee is the entitled person and thus the so-called beneficiary.

Many companies wonder what happens to the company-bound work visa when the visa holder no longer works for the U.S. employer.

In the event that the employment contract is terminated, the U.S. work visa automatically loses its validity. The derived visas of any family members who may have travelled with the employee also lose their validity upon termination of the work relations, as these are linked to the visa of the main visa applicant.

This means that the former visa holder is no longer allowed to enter the country with the work visa after termination of the employment relationship. Even if the work visa is theoretically still valid for a certain period of time, the visa may no longer be used to enter the United States. If the visa holder concerned wishes to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business purposes in the future, he / she must reapply for an ESTA or a corresponding visa, depending on the type of activities carried out on site and the duration of such activities.

Tip: In order to avoid discrepancies or problems with later entries, it is advisable to inform the U.S. consulate about the new work situation. For this purpose, it is sufficient if the responsible company representative (e.g. HR manager, supervisor, board of directors) sends an e-mail to the responsible consulate with the request to invalidate the visa of the former employee. If possible, a copy of the visa should also be attached. The consulate will then put a note in the system so that the CBP officers at the U.S. border are also informed.
In some cases, the visa holder will even be contacted directly by the U.S. consulate in order to send its passport with the work visa for the purpose of invalidation. In other cases, the visa will simply be invalidated by the CBP officer at the boder the next time he or she enters the United States.

Our recommendation: By sending a short message to the responsible U.S. consulate, companies can protect themselves and above all be sure that entry with the previously valid work visa is no longer possible. Do not take any risks and prevent possible abuse with company-bound visas.

No, Global Entry is not usable with all US visas without exception. If you are a holder:in one of the following visas, then you are excluded from Global Entry:

  • C-1
  • C-2
  • C-3
  • H-1C
  • H-2A
  • H-2B
  • H-2R
  • H-3
  • K-1
  • K-2
  • K-3
  • K-4
  • M-1
  • M-2
  • N-8
  • N-9
  • Q-1
  • Q-2
  • Q-3
  • S-5
  • S-6
  • S-7
  • T-1
  • T-2
  • T-3
  • T-4
  • T-5
  • U-1
  • U-2
  • U-3
  • U-4
  • U-5

Depending on the visa type, the application is made through the U.S. consulates in the home country or additionally through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In Germany, for example, you can apply at the U.S. Consulate in Berlin, Frankfurt/Main or Munich.

IMPORTANT: Since 2001, all applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 have been required to appear in person without exception. This means that all visa applicants of this age must submit their application at a personal interview at the U.S. consulate. No documents are submitted in advance by mail (exception: age groups under 14 and over 79, here the application is submitted by mail). Another exception at present is theVisa Reissuance Program.

All applicants of a Nonimmigrant visa must be in addition to the Online application DS-160a visa profile on the website of the Visa Information Servicecreate for the purpose of making an appointment and paying the visa processing fee.

In the first step you make the payment of the visa fee (please note that the application fee is not refundable if your visa is rejected). The fee can be paid by online bank transfer, SOFORT transfer (electronic funds transfer), debit card or cash at a bank. Usually you will receive an email notification that the payment has been received and your account has been activated so that the appointment can be made.

The interview appointment must be made either online via the visa profile or by calling the U.S. consulate call center at +49 (0)322 2109 3243. If you make the appointment online via your Visa Profile, you will have the opportunity to view the available appointments at the U.S. consulates in Berlin, Frankfurt/Main and Munich in a calendar. You will then receive an "Appointment Confirmation", i.e. an appointment confirmation including proof of payment of the visa application fee. Appointment postponements or cancellations are possible. However, if you postpone your appointment more than twice, you will have to go through the whole process from the beginning and pay the visa fee again. On our website you can find the current visa fees.

Depending on the type of visa, a certain application fee is charged per applicant, which is not refundable even if the visa is rejected.

Please make every effort to schedule an appointment in a timely manner. U.S. officials cannot and will not make allowances for individual travel plans.

Basically, in addition to the common DS-160 application form, applicants must have and the "Appointment Confirmation" you have to submit further documents. What these are also depends on the visa applied for.

Please note that your passport will be retained at the U.S. Consulate on the day of the interview and will be delivered by registered mail to a German address after a processing time of approximately one to two weeks. A personal pickup of the visa or an issuance on the same day are not possible!

Spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 will be issued a derived J-2 visa for the same period as the principal applicant and may travel to the United States on that visa.

Applications for C-1/D visas are filed with the appropriate United States Consulate in the home country (not the country of origin).
Generally, the application for a U.S. visa is made in the country where the applicant's current center of life is located. In Germany, for example, an application can be filed at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt/Main, Berlin or Munich. In Austria the Consulate General in Vienna is responsible, in Switzerland the U.S. Consulate in Bern.
IMPORTANT:Since 2001, all applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 have been required to appear in person without exception. This means that all visa applicants of this age must submit their application at a personal interview at the U.S. consulate. No documents are submitted in advance by mail (exception: age groups under 14 and over 79, in which case the application is submitted by mail). Another exception at present is the Interview Waiver Program.
As of Dec. 14, 2013, there is a new process for processing U.S. nonimmigrant visas. All nonimmigrant visa applicants, in addition to filing the DS-160 online application, must now have a profile on the website of the new Visa Information Service CGI Stanley create for the purpose of making an appointment and paying the visa processing fee.
In the first step you make the payment of the visa fee (please note that the application fee is not refundable if your visa is rejected). The fee can be paid by online bank transfer, SOFORT transfer (electronic transfer), credit card or cash at a bank. Usually, you will receive an email notification that the payment has been received and your account has been activated so that the appointment can be made.
Interview appointments must be made either online on the CGI Stanley website or by calling the CGI Call Center at +49 (0)32221093243. If you make the appointment online via your profile, you will have the opportunity to view the available appointments at the U.S. consulates in Berlin, Frankfurt/Main and Munich in a calendar. You will then receive an "Appointment Confirmation", i.e. an appointment confirmation including proof of payment of the visa application fee. Appointment postponements or cancellations are possible. However, if you postpone your appointment more than twice, you will have to go through the entire process all over again and pay the visa fee again. You can find the current fees on the official website of the U.S. State Department. If your visa is rejected, the fee will not be refunded.
During peak travel periods (summer and winter months), wait times of up to four weeks can easily occur. Please make every effort to schedule an appointment well in advance, as U.S. officials cannot and will not accommodate individual travel schedules.
Please prepare your application carefully, as applications are quite strictly reviewed. Basically, at the interview appointment, applicants must complete the common application form DS-160and the "Appointment Confirmation" with them and provide verifiable proof of their firm professional and private ties to their home country (not the USA!) as well as their intention to return to their home country. In addition, the legislator requires documents on the professional activity, the employer, proof of qualification, etc.. The employment contract with the employer must be presented. The employment contract with an airline or shipping company must be presented, which certifies transit through the USA, onward travel to a third country or the approach or approach to the country as regularly necessary. In addition, a letter from the foreign employer noting the exact occupation on board and the duration of the assignment is expected.
Please note that your passport will be retained at the U.S. Consulate on the day of the interview and will be delivered by registered mail to a German address after a processing time of approximately one to two weeks. A personal pickup of the visa or an issuance on the same day are not possible!

Generally, combined crew member/transit visas are issued for ten years (varies by nationality), but may be limited to shorter periods by the consular officer.

Not only the applicants themselves, but also the foreign employer must meet certain requirements to qualify for the C-1/D category. For example, crewmember visas are issued only to employees of commercial, international shipping companies and airlines. Employees on private yachts or jets that are not part of a shipping company or airline registered with U.S. authorities require aB-1 Visa.
The use of visa-free entry (Visa Waiver Program) is not possible in this case.

Strictly speaking, the C-1/D category does not constitute a U.S. work visa. In fact, it only allows you to work for a shipping company or airline located outside the United States - and thus to work on its behalf on U.S. territory.
C-1/D visa holders are therefore not permitted to work for a U.S. employer. If this is planned, a work visa (H, L or E visa) must be applied for in advance.

U.S. law does not provide for an extension of status and/or change of status for C-1/D visa holders within the United States. Crew members staying in the U.S. therefore cannot, for example, apply to U.S. Immigration for a work visa or even a green card, or extend your stay locally.

Accompanying spouses and unmarried children up to age 21 do not receive a derivative visa (unlike other categories such as H-1B or L-1). If family members wish to accompany crew members, for example, aB-2 Visitor visa be applied for.
IMPORTANT:The B-2 visa does not allow for employment or attendance at an educational institution!

As mentioned, airline or shipping company personnel qualify for a C-1/D visa: For example, pilots, captains, stewards, technicians, musicians and entertainers on board, seamen, flight attendants, rescue workers, and any other workers on board who provide services.

As a rule, applicants find out on the day of their interview whether the visa will be granted or not.
In certain cases, the visa applicant receives a letter of refusal from the consulate after a certain processing time. Incidentally, no reasons need to be given for a refusal. The reasons for this can be manifold and range - depending on the visa category - from the assumption of an immigration intention, to the presumption of illegal employment, to insufficient application documentation.
Once this has happened, a new visa can usually only be (successfully) applied for after several months or even years. Theoretically, there is no waiting period for the applicant until the next submission. However, experience shows that without a blatant improvement in the requirements of the respective visa category (e.g. proof of the intention to return to the home country, financial means, proof of specialized professional knowledge, etc.), a new application does not appear to make much sense.

As a rule, work visas for the United States cannot be applied for without a concrete US job offer. The official petitioner ("Petitioner") is the US company of the group of companies for the future employee ("Beneficiary"). An independent petition by the foreign employee is not possible. The L-1 visa application process involves at least two entities of the corporate group - the foreign employer, as well as the U.S. location.

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