B1/B2 Visa for superyacht crew - Essentials

Non-U.S. citizens wishing to enter American waters as crew of a superyacht you will need a B1/B2 visa. The rules and regulations surrounding the visa application process can be confusing but Evolution, as a yacht agency specialized in crew matters, has a team dedicated to assisting crew with the application process and can provide all the information regarding B1/B2 type visa.

What is a B1/B2 visa?

This visa allows the holder to temporarily enter the U.S. either for business (B1) or tourism (B2). Usually, yacht crew are issued a combination of B1/B2 visa that allows the holder to travel to the U.S. for periods of up to 6 months at time and can be valid up to a period of 10 years.

How to apply for a B1/B2 Visa?

The first thing you need to do is decide which US consulate or consular section of US embassy you will apply to. Here at Evolution, we work with US embassies throughout Europe and beyond.

You will need to complete the DS-160, an online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form which will be submitted electronically. Remember to choose the embassy of application and B1/B2 visa (not CREWMEMBER visa, which is a different category and not relevant to yacht crew). Consular officials use the information entered on the DS-160 to process the visa application and, combined with a personal interview, determine an applicant´s eligibility.

As the application form can be tedious to complete, make sure that you have at least 2 hours to dedicate to it and remember that you can save it as you go along.

Once completed, save the DS-160 form, and send it to the Evolution team. Keep the information saved as you will need to print it and take it with you once we have secured your interview appointment.

Evolution will manage the appointment confirmation process from here and let you know once a date is confirmed. Note that all applicants will need to attend an in-person interview at the Embassy, whether this is your first visa or if you have been issued visas previously, the process is the same for all.

What is the interview like?

For the visa to be issued, various documents will need to be submitted at interview. Evolution can explain exactly what documents to take with you and what kind of questions to expect. We have an almost 100% success rate of visa issuance. In cases of visa denial, we have found that crew fail to provide adequate documentation as advised by Evolution or there are historical circumstances that the Embassy need to review.

In case your visa is denied, you will be invited to reapply and present more information than the time before. Information that can counteract the cause of the initial denial.

In Evolution, we have years of experience assisting crew with B1/B2 visas through the US Embassy in Madrid, averaging 300 applications per year in the past few years. Our assistance starts once we receive the DS160 and ends when the visa is printed in your passport! 

In addition, being part of the World League of Agents gives us the privilege of connection with other agents around the world. We can thus give the best advice regarding visa applications outside of Spain as well.

You can contact us regarding your B1/B2 type visa if you have any doubts or questions.

Regardless of which part of the world you are cruising in, if you need help to get your B1/B2 visa, don’t hesitate to contact the team of Evolution Yacht Agents in b1b2@evolutionagents.com.