Flying in and sailing out - US Visa?

Good luck..my experience with US border controls is you may need some. Hopefully you'll get an answer here or I would get something agreed with the US imigration people here in writing before leaving.
 
Been there and got the T shirt on this one - with five people coming over to crew. If you're staying for less than 90 days, by far the easiest thing is to get a return flight go in on Visa Waiver. To check out all you need to do contact the nearest immigration office to your departure point and follow their instructions. When we did this in 2005, they said just pop the little green slip into the mail to them just before departure.

Even with a B2, you will get a little bit of hassle when entering the USA if you do not have a return ticket. Expect to be pulled aside, questioned, provide boat docs,etc
 
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To check out all you need to do contact the nearest immigration office to your departure point and follow their instructions. When we did this in 2005, they said just pop the little green slip into the mail to them just before departure.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was the same advice I received from the local customs & immigration office in Savannah. They were very helpful and just advised myself & spouse(american), to pop along and see them a few days prior to departure. Unfortunately we are now delayed until next year, so hopefully things won't change.

However, I have added the below information for upcoming changes to US Visa Waiver program travellers.

US Visa Waiver restrictions

On 3 June 2008 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will implement tighter restrictions on travelers from Japan, Western Europe and Western Europe as part of the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) beginning on 12 January 2009.

Under the new regulations, citizens from any of the 27 countries that are currently part of the visa waiver program must register with the U.S. government online at least three days before departing for the United States. Travelers must provide the same information as on an I-94 card, including a passport number, country of residence, disclosure of communicable diseases and travel plans.

The information will remain valid for two years; travelers will not need to re-register during the time period. DHS will begin allowing travelers to submit applications online beginning on 1 August 2008. The new system will affect both tourist and business travelers. The ESTA will allow the DHS to screen travelers before they enter the United States.

The following countries are part of the visa waiver program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
 
Go the US Embassy website for frequently asked questions. Unlikely you will find a real person to converse with let alone one who will know the rules. My experience has been to find huge inconsistency between the various officials.
Getting a visa is best solution but that is still a laborious & time consuming process. You will know rules better than anyone , certainly US officials, when you are done!
Don't delay. Good luck!
 
HI I done this, flight in to U.S. on charter flight only to Sanford Florida, hired car got boat. Phoned coastguard station who gave all the current info (2005) cleared with D.H.S. mailed green slip out of passport to office in Texas. Your problems will start in Europe no hassel in the US. The return ticket and tourist sails you thro imergration at airport, have you given thought to weather, hurricane season is not finished in Oct. Good luck Peter
 
You must have a visa for this. The visa waiver system does not cover you.

OK if you have a dozy immigration officer AND a return ticket you might get away with it but I was part of a delivery crew and the gentleman without a visa spent the night in cells and was deported the following day to his point of origin.
 
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You must have a visa for this. The visa waiver system does not cover you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry this is not the case. At least not according to the DHOS and Customs and Immigration officials I have been talking to in Savannah, the second busiest port in the USA. This was only 3 months ago. However, as you say, you can only enter the US under the visa waiver program, with a return booking, although I have never been asked for proof of this and I spend every alternate month there.
 
If he is flying in and sailing out he definitely needs a visa - any arrival or departure not on a scheduled carrier requires a visa. Also he should carry a copy of the boat's registration papers, an original letter from the skipper covering his crew position (inc time joins boat, where the boat is, intended US departure date, preferably authenticated with the ship's stamp).
 
See my post above. All I can do is repeat what I have already said, as the information given to me by the officials concerned. At no point was it mentioned that I would have to have a visa on the trip when I wanted to leave by boat, and I laid all the facts before them.
 
>See my post above.

You said " you can only enter the US under the visa waiver program, with a return booking"

You are correct but he won't have a return booking - thus he needs a visa if he is leaving by yacht otherwise he won't be allowed in.

>Ship must belong to a recognosed carrier who is part of the program.

Correct again, the yacht is not a scheduled carrier (i.e. part of the visa waiver programme) hence the visa requirement.

I think we agree on the visa waiver facts and therefore we should agree on the implications - it seems somebody is misleading you to say a visa is not required to leave on a yacht.

On reflection, the advice given to you is in one way correct because he won't need a visa to get out because he won't get in in the first place because he hasn't got a visa or a return airline ticket.
 
not sure about the non immigrant crew visa. I have a feeling this must be for employment. Also the B1/B2 situation is not very well clarified either.
Usless website with no one to email the questions to.
So I am now trying to find out what I have to do just to enable us to take the boat to the Bahamas at the end of the year for a couple of weeks. Which obviously means that I have to leave the US and then re-enter, but not on a recognised carrier.
 
the problem is that I work in Denmark for a month and then I am lucky to get back to the US for 3 weeks to see swmbo and work on the boat. SWMBO is US citizen who is currently living there on the boat. If I apply for a visa, that can take ages and no guarantee that I will get an interview the couple of days I spend in the UK and then will have to wait a week or so for the visa, then it will be a waste of time going to the US and I will not get to see the missus for maybe 3 months. No way will she put up with that. Also you are not allowed to travel to the US under the waiver program whilst a visa application is under way. So I am a bit between a rock and a hard place at the moment.
 
Just a thought because they have introduced a new system since we got ours, so this might not work. I think you now have to fill in an application online. I think they then call you for an interview. Could you time the trip for when you know the interview date. The other issue is I don't know how long it takes to get the visa after the interview. I haven't checked recently but all the info was on their web site - must be worth checking.

Plan B: take her on holiday to Denmark/UK for sufficient time to get visa.

Plan C: can you get the visa while in Denmark?
 
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