| D-1/D-2 Crewmembers
When
a vessel arrives at a port of entry it is boarded by an immigration
officer. The crew list is furnished to the officer and the
entire crew is gathered so that the officer can examine each
crewmember to determine admissibility to the United States.
Very often this examination, usually called the inspection,
is quite summary, particularly for large passenger vessels
and for crewmembers who have been coming regularly with their
vessels or planes. Each crewmember is also examined by a medical
officer of the Public Health Service. The purpose of this
scrutiny is to determine whether the aliens are admissible
under the general immigration laws and whether they are bona
fide crewmembers who intend in good faith to leave the United
States when the period of their shore leave expires. At the
conclusion of the examination the immigration officer decides,
in his or her discretion, whether shore leave shall be granted.
If the officer's decision is favorable the crewmember is admitted.
The immigration officer can authorize one of two types of
shore leave. The first is for alien crewmembers who intend
to depart with their vessel or aircraft. Such persons are
known as D-1 crewmembers and are permitted shore privileges
only while their vessel or aircraft is in the port of arrival
or other ports of the United States, but in no event for more
than 29 days, provided their passports are surrendered for
safe keeping to the master of their vessel. D-1 crewmembers
are required to depart with their vessel in the port of arrival
and other ports in the United States, but may rejoin their
vessel at another United States port, before the vessel touches
at a foreign port or place, if they have advance written permission
from the master or agent to do so. The second type of admission
is for crewmembers who intend to reship or depart on another
vessel or plane. Such persons are known as D-2 crewmembers
and are allowed temporary admission for a period not in excess
of 29 days, to reship, or to depart as passengers if satisfactory
arrangements for such departure have been made, and the immigration
officer has consented to the crewmembers' pay off or discharge
by the vessel on which they arrived.
An alien crewmember ordinarily is ineligible to apply for
extension of stay beyond the allotted 29-day period or for
change to other nonimmigrant status. However, in the event
of illness or injury, the alien crewmember may change from
D-1 to D-2 status to allow them to depart on another vessel
or plane.
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