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The C-4 visa and the D-3 visa have been created for foreign persons who engage in lightering activities in the United States, i.e. the transportation of liquid cargo from a ship engaged in foreign trade to another ship.
Visa category: work visa
Target group: ship crew members
Length of stay: max. 180 days
Characteristics: is in connection with lightering activities
The visa category C-4, D-3 and the combined visa C-4 / D-3 is available to foreign nationals traveling to the USA to work at lightering activitieson ships engaged in foreign trade. Lightering is the transfer of liquid cargo (usually oil) from one ship to another.
These special visa categories allow crew members or personnel of international ships to enter the United States for a limited period of time as part of their lightering activities on board.
Crew members can obtain a C-4 visa and a D-3 visa at the same time if all requirements for both visa categories are met.
Crew members who have a transit through the United States in order to board an international merchant ship to perform lightering work for maximum 180 daysmay obtain a C-4 visa.
Crew members who plan to land temporarily in the USA to carry out lightering activities, andleave the US on the same or a different vessel or aircraft after a maximum of 180 days may apply for a D-3 visa.
For the approval of this visa category, it is necessary to prove that the activity on board a lightering vessel is part of normal operations. Crew members who are in US waters on their C-4 visa, D-3 visa or C-4 / D-3 visa must leave the United States after maximum 180 days.
According to the US authorities, a ship is considered to be leaving the country if it leaves a US port for a port outside the United States (the USA includes not only the mainland, but also Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and the American Virgin Islands).
To obtain a C-4, D-3 or a C-4 / D-3 visa, travelers should ideally be a crew member on the international vessel's crew list. In addition, the US consulate may require a letter from the employer confirming the scope, duration and location of the applicant's anticipated work, as well as whether or when the lightering vessel will depart the United States for a foreign port.
Applicants must not be paid by the US side or a US company.
Visa applicants must maintain permanent residence outside the United States and intend to travel to the United States for a temporary stay only.
Normally you will need the following documents:
Similar to the C-1/D visa there is no derived US visa for relatives of crew members.
Spouses and child(ren) who wish to accompany or join a crew member traveling to the United States may check to see if they qualify for an ESTA travel authorization or a visitor visa.
However, it is rarely permitted on ships for family members to accompany crew members while on duty.
We advise you on the choice of the appropriate visa category and take over the complete processing for you or your company.
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