US Crew Visa

[proxus]

Hi Fellas.

I've done the "search" but haven't found what I've been looking for. I wonder if anyone knows where to find the right answers.

My "problem" is in a nutshell that I got my initial US crew visa just over a year ago with company "A". Since then I've changed companies.

I have two visas, one is B1/D1 and the other is C1/D.
On the C1/D is the annotation "Crew Visa" and the name of my previous company. Now at my current company "B" I would like to change that annotation to my new company "B" however thinks aren't so simple.

The good lady at the embassy wants me to reapply and go through the whole process again, costing me a great deal of time and money.
That's where I get a little annoyed.

I saw the same visa newly issued by the US embassy in the UK in the passport of one of my colleagues. That visa does not have anything under "annotations"
Then I heard another assumtion. The annotation with company "A" only means that it was the company that Initially vouched for me as an air crew seeking a US crew visa. Once issued, that visa for the remainder of the period of validity (10 yrs), is for me to use when entering the US as a crew member, no matter if flying with company "A" "B" or even "C". That visa is therefore, as I understood it, a permision for me to enter as a crew member, regardless as for what operator I work for.

If that isn't the case, why do I have to go through all that trouble just to change "A" to "B". I'm still a crew member, no gap in employment between those two companies and I have a letter from company "B" addressed to the embassy stating that I'm a crew member there now.

I'm basically looking to see if there's anyone that has gone through a similar predicament as this or knows where I can find the law or regulations that the nice lady is refering to.

[Bealzebub]

I think your answer lies in the question.

You don't say whether your visa was issued in the UK? Different arrangements apply in different countries.

All the C/D visas I have been issued with, have never had annotations or company names appended to them, so as you suggest the visa is a general crewmans visa. If however there is such an appendage that would suggest that the visa is specifically stipulated to that condition. In other words the permission is conditional on the specified employing company.

The embassy would be the authority, and if they require (as you suggest) that you reapply, then that would seem to be the answer.

[L'aviateur]

On occasions, and in some US Embassy's, the C1-D and B1/B2 are annoted, and as such the visa is only valid in respect of that annotation. So officially, the visa is only valid for the company that is stated on it.
In all honesty, you would probably be entered on it without question and not have any problems, but it could easily turn sour.
The best course of action is to reapply and have a new visa issued, if you apply in London for instance, it is highly likely that the visa won't be annotated.
Some Embassy's are particularly easygoing such as Madrid and Paris.

[kunaldubey]

Hey,

I am going on a vacation and an taking a cruise from Southampton , UK to NY. I have a valid b1/b2 so entry is no problem.

My airline allows me to go as an Additional crew member from US to india which saves me a lot money on the ticket.

Now , I DO NOT have a crew visa , should I have any problem exiting the country on the General Declaration ?

From what I've heard from my collegues is that while exiting , they just scan the passport and cross check the names in the GD and not look at the visa.

Thanks for the replies ...