Proposal to Eliminate Crew List Visas

The U.S. Department of State has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would, if adopted, eliminate crew list visas for crew members on foreign ships making port calls in the United States. As a result, any alien crew member needing to or wanting to come ashore in the United States would have to possess a valid personal passport and a valid U.S. visa. The State Department does note that there may be difficulties in getting individual visa requests processed in a timely manner and invites comments on this issue. Comments should be submitted by February 11, 2003. Source: HK Law