Visa for USA, intracoastal etc, where to start?

jerrytug

jerrytug

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I would like to do an extended Atlantic circuit and will need a visa, can anyone recommend a useful sailing-related source of reference, from personal experience? Many thanks Jerry
 
Well here are my thoughts and a start for 10

Avoid the USA in a foreign flagged boat at all costs and fly there to visit if you have to. Plenty of beautiful places to visit all over the Caribbean to see that are much less restrictive

You might want to start by trawling through this link http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/USA and then have a look at post No 5 on the following link
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener.../174914-clearing-out-usa-non-usa-citizen.html

You will also need a pre applied visa B1/B2 BEFORE you arrive in the USA
 
john_q said:
You will also need a pre applied visa B1/B2 BEFORE you arrive in the USA
Click to expand...

I got a B1/B2 a few years back for a delivery, but I *suspect* you'd just need a B2 for a cruise on your own/a friend's boat (can anyone confirm?).

I went the standard route at the US embassy in London which was relatively straight forward but I'm told (cannot personally confirm) by a delivery skipper who regularly seems to lose crew / pick up new ones in the azores that it's easier/quicker to get a US visa in the azores.
 
>You will also need a pre applied visa B1/B2 BEFORE you arrive in the USA

That's what we had obtained at the US embassy in London, with two huge queues you are quizzed at one then sent to the back on the other to be quizzed again. Then you sit in a hall and wait hours to see three different people who ask you the same questions that are asked in the queues. They also now want finger prints.
 
Concerto said:
I suggest you join the Cruising Association. They keep excellent records for yacht entry into most countries worldwide.
Click to expand...

Thanks Concerto, I'm a member but failed to disciver the nitty gritty details on the website, perhaps because the "Blue Water " section is under construction?
 
Some other thoughts. With a B1/B2 visa you can visit St John and St Thomas, US Virgin islands, plus Puerto Rico. All are worth a visit and we loved PR, the locals are friendly and it has the most amazing supermarkets that have the widest range of product we have ever seen, if you want to stock up. If you come in from the east I think you can clear in at Fajardo but do check. On the south coast a bay we really liked was Salinas, the locals are friendly, there is a chandler a baker open every day and a taxi to the supermarket.

Once you have crossed you will have sailed over 1,000 miles which qualifies you to join the Ocean Cruising Club. They have many members on the east coat of the USA and you will receive a warm welcome and often a mooring or dock and the loan of a car. They also have local Port Officers worldwide so you can ask for help if you need something or just socialise. It's worth joining as an Associate member(s) of the OCC before you leave. The Cruising Association cover the Med and Baltic.

If you do want to join the OCC PM me and I'll give you my contact details so you can send the form to sign.
 
The requirement to report your movements at every point within the USA has been law for at least 30 years to my knowledge. However its enforcement has been and remains extremely patchy.

However despite the onerous sounding nature of the requirements, there are hundreds of Canadian boats (and UK, German, Swedish, Belgium, Australian, New Zealand boats) parading south past the house at the moment. They all seem to be having a good time.
 
Its not as complicated as it sounds.

Its easy for me I have a canadian Passport.
As far as I know British Passport holders visiting the US do not require a visa. we used to but not now. So long as you are visiting in your own boat.
When I took my mom across the border last summer to go sailing boat she had no visa. she just had to go in and see the the border guard and fill out the paper work. She was issued with a card in her passport which allowed her to cross back and forth including by boat without any further formality. Good for 6 months. You have to return it when you leave.

We were sailing out of PT Roberts in the PNW. The US Border Gaurds were very friendly. By our 3rd trip she was on a first name basis with some of them.

A D visa is required if you are paid crew eg a delivery. They are only good for for 5 years.

If you have a B1 or B2 in an old passport they do not expire take the old passport with you

You can visit any US Consulate to get a visa if you want one.
 
You want Noonsite.com for getting into the USA. N.B. choose your port of entry carefully [ NOT MIAMI ]

Make sure you get the CURRENT rules for reporting your movements once in the USA. Some confusion exists at the moment.

Activecaptain.com is good for up to date stuff on marinas etc esp. ICW and East coast.

If doing the ICW and you draw 4ft + get towing insurance. Shoaling is a problem.
 
jerrytug said:
Thanks for all the answers and links, I am now on the right track!
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I might well have commented on one of the links that macd provided; in short, in 2011 it was much, much easier to jump through the hoops of US bureaucracy in Lisbon than it was in London. You also booked your appointment on their website rather than via an extremely expensive premium rate call.
 
Last edited:
Uricanejack said:
Its not as complicated as it sounds.

Its easy for me I have a canadian Passport.
As far as I know British Passport holders visiting the US do not require a visa. we used to but not now. So long as you are visiting in your own boat.
When I took my mom across the border last summer to go sailing boat she had no visa. she just had to go in and see the the border guard and fill out the paper work. She was issued with a card in her passport which allowed her to cross back and forth including by boat without any further formality. Good for 6 months. You have to return it when you leave.

We were sailing out of PT Roberts in the PNW. The US Border Gaurds were very friendly. By our 3rd trip she was on a first name basis with some of them.

A D visa is required if you are paid crew eg a delivery. They are only good for for 5 years.

If you have a B1 or B2 in an old passport they do not expire take the old passport with you

You can visit any US Consulate to get a visa if you want one.
Click to expand...

Very different to the advice I was given. I have an 'indefinite' multiple-entry visa in an old passport but was told it now expires with the passport and has to be replaced. (That was early in 2001 i.e. shortly before 9/11). I'd be surprised to hear they had relaxed the rules since then.

I understand that Brits visiting the USA can get a visa waiver if arriving by plane/ship but definitely need a visabefore arriving at any US port by yacht.

Of course things may have changed so don't take any of that as definitive.
 
snowleopard said:
Very different to the advice I was given. I have an 'indefinite' multiple-entry visa in an old passport but was told it now expires with the passport and has to be replaced. (That was early in 2001 i.e. shortly before 9/11). I'd be surprised to hear they had relaxed the rules since then.

I understand that Brits visiting the USA can get a visa waiver if arriving by plane/ship but definitely need a visabefore arriving at any US port by yacht.

Of course things may have changed so don't take any of that as definitive.
Click to expand...

Correct, you need a visa before you arrive. Visa waiver only applies to arrival by commercial carrier.
 
snowleopard said:
I understand that Brits visiting the USA can get a visa waiver if arriving by plane/ship but definitely need a visabefore arriving at any US port by yacht.
Click to expand...

+1. Also the "D" visa I think applies to airline/cruise liner crew/staff. Certainly for yacht deliveries a B1 was what I was told to get. Yacht delivery was what I said I wanted it for and the immigration people haven't questioned it
 
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