Embassy of the United States

Non-Immigrant Visas

Seamen (C1/D) Visas

In Honduras, seamen are an important percentage of non-immigrant visa applicants.

We request that Honduran seaman’s unions and companies that hire Honduran seamen register with our offices.  Please send us an e-mail at tggniv@state.gov or a fax to (504) 237-1792 with your contact information to send you the requirements for registration.

Types of Visas for Seamen

The most common visa for Honduran seamen is the C1/D visa, which is a combination of a transit visa with a crewman’s visa. With this visa, seamen may transit through the United States to reach their port of embarkation or they may arrive in the United States as crew on a vessel.

Another visa for seamen is the B1/OCS visa, which is for those working on vessels that use U.S. ports and work at offshore sites on the outer continental shelf, without using other foreign ports.  To apply for this visa, the employer must obtain a permit from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Some seamen require a H2B temporary worker visa.  To apply for this visa, employers must comply with the requirements for hiring alien temporary workers.

Refrigeration technicians working on cargo vessels also need a B1 visa, in case they need to do repairs while the vessel is at a U.S. port.

Requesting an Expedited Appointment

We understand that many seamen have short stays in Honduras and during that stay they must process their visa.  It is quite common that their appointments are assigned for a date past their date of embarkation.  This is why we try out best to accommodate seamen’s requests for expedited appointments.

Since May 17, 2007 we have our Call Center available, and it is through them that you can obtain an expedited appointment.  Your appointment fee is US$131, which can be paid at any Banco Atlantida branch.  Also you pay an additional fee of US$13, and you will obtain a PIN number to be used with our Call Center and they will give you your expedited appointment date.

Applying for a Seaman Visa

Applicants for seaman’s visas should present their application at the Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over their place of permanent residence.

Since May 17, 2007 we have our Call Center available, and it is through them that you can obtain an appointment.  Please, make sure that your passport has a remaining validity of at least six months.  If you need additional information about the requirements according to your nationality, please go to this website.

Your appointment fee is US$131, which can be paid at any Banco Atlantida branch. Also you pay an additional fee of US$13, and you will obtain a PIN number to be used with our Call Center and they will give you your appointment date.

Go to the bank with your passport (with a minimum six-month validity remaining) and pay the consular fee, and the pin number to call our call center and get your appointment (if your payment is in dollars, you will be charged an additional amount based on the exchange rate).

When you come to your appointment you must present:

• Proof of payment of visa processing fee (Banco Atlantida receipts or proof of payment in our office).
• Form DS-156 in the electronic format
• Current letter of employment (with a copy if the format does not come in duplicate/triplicate).
• A passport with a minimum six-month validity remaining.  Please, make sure that your passport has a remaining validity of at least six months.  If you need additional information about the requirements according to your nationality, please go to this website.
• A 2x2 inch photo taken with a white background, no glasses.
• Men between the ages of 16 and 45 must present form DS-157 (PDF - 128K)  (It is very important that in this form you list all of the countries you have visited).
• A valid seaman’s license.
• A valid seaman’s book and previous seaman’s books (if you have any).
• Previous passports (if you have any).
• Certificates for seaman courses.

It is recommended to present:

• Evidence of family and economic ties to Honduras.

Applying for a B1 or B1/B2

Some companies need that their seamen have B1 or B1/B2 visas to enter the United States for training or other purposes.  If you are one of these cases, you should present the following to process the additional visa:

• Proof of payment of visa processing fee (Banco Atlantida receipts or proof of payment in our office).
• Form DS-156 in the electronic format
• Current letter of employment.
• A letter of employment stating since when you’ve been employed with the company and what your salary is.
• A passport with a minimum six-month validity remaining.  Please, make sure that your passport has a remaining validity of at least six months.  If you need additional information about the requirements according to your nationality, please go to this website.
• A 2x2 inch photo taken with a white background, no glasses.
• Men between the ages of 16 and 45 must present form DS-157 (PDF - 128K)  (It is very important that in this form you list all of the countries you have visited).
• Evidence of your family and economic ties to Honduras.