Help with b1/b2 visa

pro crew · 07-25-2006, 02:40 AM

HI there, I am an Australian girl wanting to crew on red ensigned flagged yachts in the Carribean and do the season and maybe longer in the US, possibly alaska.

can anyone let me know of their personal experiences on applying in Australia for the visa? lots of people have told me different ways to get a visa, but i really need to be assured, whether I will be considered by the captains for crew work if I don't have a b1/b2? or can I apply in the US for this visa?

thanks for your help,,,,Chloe

sailronin · 07-25-2006, 07:29 AM

Chloe,
You can not apply for a b1/b2 in the United States. Application must be made in your home country (in the past it was sometimes possible to apply in Bahamas or DR but lately this has not been the case to my knowledge).
Your chances with a boat heading to the US are pretty slim without the b1/b2. Immigration has gotten very particular with this in the last few years. If you arrive in the US as crew aboard a yacht without the visa you may be deported and possibly refused re-entry into the US.

Good luck
Dave

pro crew · 07-25-2006, 07:16 PM

HI Dave

thanks very much for your advice, i will keep up with my training to get my international qualifications and then go from there.
have a nice day
Chloe

K1W1 · 07-26-2006, 06:42 AM

Hi,

You have a Private Message

MYCaptainChris · 07-26-2006, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailronin

Chloe,
You can not apply for a b1/b2 in the United States. Application must be made in your home country (in the past it was sometimes possible to apply in Bahamas or DR but lately this has not been the case to my knowledge).
Your chances with a boat heading to the US are pretty slim without the b1/b2. Immigration has gotten very particular with this in the last few years. If you arrive in the US as crew aboard a yacht without the visa you may be deported and possibly refused re-entry into the US.

Good luck
Dave

My decky got hers in the bahamas a month ago

Matthias · 08-09-2006, 01:35 AM

I've been doing some research to find out if a Canadian working on yachts needs a B1/B2 Visa. From my previous experience on passenger ships the crew which were Canadian didn't need a C1/D visa, does anyone know if its the same for B1/B2 visas?

Ken Bracewell · 08-09-2006, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthias

I've been doing some research to find out if a Canadian working on yachts needs a B1/B2 Visa. From my previous experience on passenger ships the crew which were Canadian didn't need a C1/D visa, does anyone know if its the same for B1/B2 visas?

You definitely need a B1/B2 visa.

kiwicapt · 08-12-2006, 08:24 PM

My Canadian crew did not require any Visa when we cleared at Los Angeles six months ago.
Maybe things have changed over the last few months as I read that some customs officers do not accept B1/B2 visas for yacht crew and are insisting on C1/D.
I suggest you ring the office you intend to clear into and ask them. Don't forget to get the officers name and ID number.

Matthias · 08-13-2006, 11:25 AM

Thanks for your input Kiwicapt and Ken. From my experiences and research it seems that a Canadian passport holder isn't required to obtain a visa due to some agreements between Canada and the US. Right now I am waiting to hear from the US Consulate in Vancouver to confirm this, but that might take a while.

Matthias · 08-16-2006, 11:24 AM

I received a response from the US consulate in Vancouver today stating that Canadians do not require B1/B2 visas for the US.