Embassy of the United States Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Important Announcement: Since May 9, 2011 individuals applying for a C1/D visa (seaman’s visa) at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa are required to submit their DS-160 Non-Immigrant Visa Electronic Application prior to making their appointment with the Call Center.  Applicants must provide their DS-160 confirmation number in order to receive their visa appointment.

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 to tggniv@state.gov or a fax to (504) 2237-1792 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.

Information about the Non-Immigrant Visa appointment service.

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.

Make an appointment through our Call Center and 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 the Visa Waiver Program website.

When you come to your appointment, you must present:

• Proof of payment of Consular fee.  If you are applying for a B1/B2 and a C1/D visa simultaneously, please make sure you pay only one fee and not two.
• Form DS-160 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 the Visa Waiver Program website.
• A 2x2 inch photo taken with a white background, no glasses.  Additional to the photo you uploaded at the DS-160.
• 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:

• Payment receipt for each application.  If you are requesting a B1/B2 and a C1/D visa simultaneously, please make sure you pay only one fee and not two.
• Form DS-160 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 the Visa Waiver Program website.
• A 2x2 inch photo taken with a white background, no glasses.  Additional to the photo you uploaded at the DS-160.
• Evidence of your family and economic ties to Honduras.