US crew visas for M.E. Carriers and their crews.

[EY763ER]

I wanted to know if EK/EY/QR flight deck crew are required to have U.S. Visas for US bound flights?

In the airline I fly for, crews do need the visa for US bound flights, and it seems as though the US immigration use profiling for these purposes; as such, many middle eastern or other ethnic crew were unable to attain the crew visa.

Seeing as the middle eastern big 3 airlines have many crew from these countries, how has it worked out for them?

Cheers for the responses!

[Wizofoz]

Yes, we require a Visa.

Generally simple process that takes a couple of hours at the US consulate, valid for 5 years.

I've not heard os anyone having any problems getting or renewing one.

[bidabon]

Answer is ---> Y.E.S.
And a couple of hours to get it is a very optimistic figure, at least in DXB ...

[White Knight]

valid for 5 years

Hi Wiz - not strictly true as it depends upon your nationality. Mine was for 10 years. I know some who got a valid visa for only 6 months.....

[Wizofoz]

They give the CC a day off to get it done, but have a special arrangement for Pilots such that we turn up at opening time and are processed first. I seem to remember getting there at 8 and being done by 9.30

ETA thanks for the info, WK.

[shresht]

SLF, but it doesn't take as long at the new consulate in DXB (by the creek)

[nitro rig driver]

How come you guys seem to have it easy

We have to fill a very long online form,followed by an application for an interview (sometimes 1 month away) then submit the passport for stamping if said agent is happy (not always it seems)

And this is for a crew visa,,,what are we doing wrong then :mad:

[EK773ER]

Hey nitro,

Depends on where you are??

[nitro rig driver]

I'll be in the sandpit called DXB

[shresht]

I'm guessing these guys did it before the online form (DS-160) came into existence/usage at the Dubai consulate. You know, the one which asks you whether you have ever violated anyone's religious freedom while serving as a government official (or something along those lines).

Application for interview really depends. At Dubai the dates for month x seem to open up on the last week of month x-1, so you could potentially get an appointment in less than a week.

Edit: Unless crew have a different process for getting appointment dates. Only SLF here.

[givemewings]

special arrangement for Pilots such that we turn up at opening time and are processed first.

Which was lovely to say the least when we'd all been told to roll up at 6am to get a spot early in the queue, waiting in the sun with no shade and not able to drink (being Ramadan) only to have other staff turn up 3 hours later and be ushered to the front.... luckily they were nice and saved us some seats for when we (eventually) got in the shade inside the building. The queuing was endless at the old place, but process went fast once you got to the last room. Heard it's way better now they've moved location.

FYI as an Aussie & a UAE resident I also had the do all the forms, photos, stamps etc- the only difference is the appointment is made by the company. The rest is up to the crewmember (including going in on the days off to get it done, and then again to collect the passport- which I believe is now delivered to HQ to be picked up by the employee.) As far as I know the process is the same for all nationalities; just the validity which differs. Seems it might go easier if you're applying AFTER you become a resident, rather than from o/s if that is what Nitro is asking about?

[Kamelchaser]

Just to clarify re cabin crew getting a rostered day off to attend a US visa interview; only when it suits the company. At the moment, they are short of 380 crew with visas, so they are getting RDO's to attend. They are not short of main fleet cabin crew with US visas, so they have to go in their own time!

Fair?....Not really, but since when was that taken into account?

[givemewings]

Kamel, as far as I'm aware those going in their own time are those who don't want to wait to be told to go, and want to be able to be rostered for US flights right away.

Those waiting on main fleet are getting rostered days off to attend (as per one case I know of in the last 2 weeks)

If they're not short of crew with visas on one fleet or the other, then of course they're not going to spend the time to organise it all...