The D-2 visa is a non-immigrant
visa which allows travel to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
for those serving as a
crewman on
marine vessel
A watercraft or waterborne vessel is any vehicle designed for travel across or through water bodies, such as a boat, ship, hovercraft, submersible or submarine.
Types
Historically, watercraft have been divided into two main categories.
*Raf ...
or
aircraft
An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
, who will depart on a different vessel than that on which they arrived.
Those who will depart on the same vessel would normally instead qualify for a D-1 visa. Individuals are not eligible for a D-1 visa if their vessel is in
dry dock
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
, is a
fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to fishing, catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial ...
, they are a coasting officer, or if they are destined for the outer
continental shelf
A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an islan ...
.
The maximum duration of stay is 29 days.
[ Travelers may present a seaman's book rather than a passport as identification.][ Those serving on a private ]yacht
A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...
normally would not be eligible unless they are sailing out of a foreign home port, and will be in US waters for more than 29 days.[
]
References
External links
8 CFR 214.2 (m)
Link to Title 8, Code of Federal Regulations.
Visa wait times
Visa wait times at consulates around the world
{{United States visas
United States visas by type
United States immigration law