Seawoman

[JaynLainey 0]

Hi my sister works in a cruise ship and we would like her to stay for a month or two while her contract expires. Does anyone have any knowledge on what to do so she can stay here in the US for the meantime??

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

see what type of visa she has now to usa. some have a open visa to enter and stay and is valad for 1 year. if not she can apply for b2 visa and with good work showing she returns to job on her pasport it should be easy to get.

i have feeling that on her visa she has ablility to enter usa with no problem but she has to look and see. if not B2

have a great visit and what country is your sister form??

[juliava 80]

I have a friend with this type of visa and she is not allowed to be on land more than 24 hours.

Plus she can not file for AOS to get a Green Card or change status in general. It is a hell type of a visa.

Hopefully it;s not your sister's case. Talk to a good immigration lawyer before you make any kind of decision.

Edited December 29, 2009 by juliava

[payxibka 10,044]

Hi my sister works in a cruise ship and we would like her to stay for a month or two while her contract expires. Does anyone have any knowledge on what to do so she can stay here in the US for the meantime??

If she is on a C-1 "crewman" visa there is not much that can be done... no extenstions, no ability to adjust to another status.

Moving thread to General Immigation discussion

Edited December 29, 2009 by payxibka

[juliava 80]

If she is on a C-1 "crewman" visa there is not much that can be done... no extenstions, no ability to adjust to another status.

Moving thread to General Immigation discussion

Thank you payxibka -you just reminded me what type of visa my friend has. Yes, indeed, it is a C-1.

To JaynLainey-if your sister has this visa, don't buy the ####### that some lawyers will try to sell/promise you. She can not do anything with this visa.

[JaynLainey 0]

Thanks for the response. She is from the Philippines! I am not quiet sure what is her VISA type. She heard that she is allowed to stay for a month but not allowed to apply for green card.

Hi my sister works in a cruise ship and we would like her to stay for a month or two while her contract expires. Does anyone have any knowledge on what to do so she can stay here in the US for the meantime??

[christeen 966]

The C1/D visas are pretty strict... My husband worked for 14 years on the ship and was from a VWP and still had issues... He was able to notify the ship and they signed him off in a foreign country and he usually flew into the US as signing off at the US port required pre-approval and the cruise lines generally do not want to deal with it...

Best bet it for her to visit it to contact a consulate and secure a B2 visa (standard application)... If it gets approved, she can sign off in a foreign port and fly to the us and enter via the airport immigration... Otherwise, for PHL she cannot adjust from C1/D to a tourist (or any other visa) and has 24 hours to exit the country (although from a VWP, we did get a one time 7 day parole on the C1/D but it was an emergency exception... Sorry

[JaynLainey 0]

The C1/D visas are pretty strict... My husband worked for 14 years on the ship and was from a VWP and still had issues... He was able to notify the ship and they signed him off in a foreign country and he usually flew into the US as signing off at the US port required pre-approval and the cruise lines generally do not want to deal with it...

Best bet it for her to visit it to contact a consulate and secure a B2 visa (standard application)... If it gets approved, she can sign off in a foreign port and fly to the us and enter via the airport immigration... Otherwise, for PHL she cannot adjust from C1/D to a tourist (or any other visa) and has 24 hours to exit the country (although from a VWP, we did get a one time 7 day parole on the C1/D but it was an emergency exception... Sorry

What is a VWP? Her last port will be florida. She was told that after going to immigration they usually give them a month to leave the US. Then she can rebook her ticket so she can stay with us at those times. Is there an application fee for B2 visa? Where can she get that?

[christeen 966]

Sorry, PHL is not a visa waiver country (VWP, which are countrys that are allowed entry to the US without a visa) ...

And I have friends on ALL cruise lines and from many different country's (after 9 years onboard with my husband) here is how 99% of the cruise lines handle the C1/D visas...

#1. In order to sign off the ship, the crewmembers MUST either have a ticket purchased by the cruiseline OR prove that they have a flight out of the US. The cruiseline requires that this flight occur within 24 hours of sign off. The crewmember will pass through immigration and they must show their departure ticket...

#2. The visa is a transit visa and is ONLY valid for the time until the scheduled flight OR the 29 days (whichever is sooner)...

So basically, it is the cruiseline that will not take the responsibility for any crewmembers sigining off and staying in the US. So even though "technically" they have 29 days, the key here is that it is ONLY good until the day/time that the flight out of the US (which the cruise line requires be within 24 hours of signing off in order for them to be released from duty).

#3. Additionally, the cruiselines are very certain to keep crewmembers working until the day of signoff because of a stipulation in the law that says that crewmembers signing off for vacation in the USA MUST sign off in the LAST foreign port and NOT be on duty after the last foreign port...

They are VERY sasvy about this...

A B2 is a tourist visa that can be obtained at a US embassy or Consulate...

But your family should check with the cruise line's crew purser or the chief Purser to get the specifics on how they work sign-offs. If this is her first contract, then you are pretty much outta luck as the cruise line takes extra measures to be sure their crew leaves the country...

Wish I had better news, but I wish you the best in seeing your Family!!!

[JaynLainey 0]

I just talked to my sister and she said her co workers said that she can rebook the visa after the immigration because they will be given a 30 day pass.

Sorry, PHL is not a visa waiver country (VWP, which are countrys that are allowed entry to the US without a visa) ...

And I have friends on ALL cruise lines and from many different country's (after 9 years onboard with my husband) here is how 99% of the cruise lines handle the C1/D visas...

#1. In order to sign off the ship, the crewmembers MUST either have a ticket purchased by the cruiseline OR prove that they have a flight out of the US. The cruiseline requires that this flight occur within 24 hours of sign off. The crewmember will pass through immigration and they must show their departure ticket...

#2. The visa is a transit visa and is ONLY valid for the time until the scheduled flight OR the 29 days (whichever is sooner)...

So basically, it is the cruiseline that will not take the responsibility for any crewmembers sigining off and staying in the US. So even though "technically" they have 29 days, the key here is that it is ONLY good until the day/time that the flight out of the US (which the cruise line requires be within 24 hours of signing off in order for them to be released from duty).

#3. Additionally, the cruiselines are very certain to keep crewmembers working until the day of signoff because of a stipulation in the law that says that crewmembers signing off for vacation in the USA MUST sign off in the LAST foreign port and NOT be on duty after the last foreign port...

They are VERY sasvy about this...

A B2 is a tourist visa that can be obtained at a US embassy or Consulate...

But your family should check with the cruise line's crew purser or the chief Purser to get the specifics on how they work sign-offs. If this is her first contract, then you are pretty much outta luck as the cruise line takes extra measures to be sure their crew leaves the country...

Wish I had better news, but I wish you the best in seeing your Family!!!