D Crewmember Visa
For crew working aboard a commercial sea vessel or international airline calling at a US port, providing services required for the vessel or aircraft's normal operation, who intend to depart the United States on that vessel/aircraft (or another one) within the authorized period.
- Duration
- Non-lightering (D): admission not to exceed 29 days; must depart the US on a vessel within 29 days of arrival. Lightering crew (D-3): admission not to exceed 180 days (8 CFR 214.2(c)(4), crewmember visa guidance).
- Extensions
- Cannot extend or change status - D is on USCIS's list of classifications ineligible to file Form I-539; crewmembers must depart with a vessel/aircraft within the authorized period.
- Work
- Only in a crewman capacity aboard the vessel/aircraft of arrival, or a vessel/aircraft of the same transportation company; not authorized for domestic flights/movements, with a narrow stopover exception on qualifying single-aircraft international US-carrier flights.
- Dual intent
- No
- Dependents
- Spouse and unmarried minor children may apply separately for B visitor visas to accompany the crewmember, if they will not themselves perform crew duties; no D dependent classification exists.
- Path to a green card
- None. A D-1/D-2 crewman - as shown on Form I-94 or the Crewman's Landing Permit (Form I-95) - is permanently barred from adjustment of status under INA 245(c)(1), regardless of any later, different nonimmigrant status; the bar turns on whether the person served as a crewman, not on their current status. VAWA-based applicants are excepted from this bar.
- Processing time
- unverified - no fixed timeline published; varies by post.
Who qualifies
- Sea vessel crew: captain, engineer, deckhand, cook, waiter, beautician, lifeguard, or other service staff
- Airline crew: pilot, flight attendant
- Trainees aboard a training vessel
- Lightering crew performing ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer - issued D-3, generally combined as C-4/D-3
Requirements
- Must actually be employed on the vessel/aircraft of arrival to use the visa for entry (though one may apply for the visa without a job in hand)
- Services must be required for the normal operation of the vessel/aircraft
- Intent to depart within the authorized period
- Not eligible if the primary purpose is dry-dock repair, crew on a fishing vessel based in the US, replacement coasting officer, private yacht crew staying over 29 days, or Outer Continental Shelf work - those need a B-1 or H-2 visa instead
How to apply
- 1
Complete Form DS-160 online and print the confirmation page
- 2
Pay the non-refundable application fee ($185) if required before the interview
- 3
Gather passport, photo, and application fee receipt
- 4
Attend a visa interview (generally required, case-by-case exceptions)
- 5
Provide fingerprints at the interview
- 6
Bring evidence of the trip's purpose, intent to depart, and ability to cover costs if requested
- 7
Await any administrative processing; pay any applicable visa issuance fee once approved
Fees and forms
| MRV nonimmigrant visa application fee | $185 |
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- 2026-07-01: CBP began issuing the Crewman's Landing Permit (Form I-95) electronically for each border encounter, replacing the previous reusable paper I-95.
Where it goes wrong
- May apply for a D visa without a job in hand, but it can only be used to enter the US if the traveler is actually employed on the arriving vessel/aircraft
- Permanently barred from adjustment of status regardless of later status changes (INA 245(c)(1)) - the bar looks at crewman service, not the current visa status
- Crew on a fishing vessel with a home port or operating base in the US need an H-2 visa, not D
- Non-lightering crew must depart within 29 days; lightering crew (D-3) get up to 180 days - do not assume the longer period applies without qualifying lightering work
Also in crew
Not sure this is the one? Describe your situation and the finder will name the options worth exploring. None of this is legal advice; eligibility turns on facts a page cannot see.