US C-1 transit visa

Who the C-1 transit visa is for

The C-1 visa suits travellers whose only reason to enter the United States is to pass through it on the way somewhere else.

• Passengers connecting between international flights through a US airport who are not eligible for or choosing to use ESTA
• Travellers stopping briefly in the US en route to a final destination in another country
• Sea crew travelling to the US to meet and board the vessel they will work on (a C-1 is needed alongside the D crewmember visa, often issued as a combined C-1/D visa)

Eligibility and conditions

To qualify, applicants must satisfy a consular officer that their entry is genuinely for transit and that they intend to depart the United States.

• The purpose of entering the US is to transit onward to another country
• The transit is "immediate and continuous" — a prearranged itinerary with a prompt departure and no unreasonable layover
• The traveller can show onward travel arrangements and/or permission to enter the next country
• The visa does not permit sightseeing, visiting or business — those require a B-1/B-2 or other appropriate visa

How to apply

Applications are made directly to a US embassy or consulate; no US-based petition is required.

• Complete the online DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application and print the confirmation page
• Pay the $185 machine-readable visa (MRV) application fee
• Upload or bring a photo meeting US visa photo requirements
• Schedule and attend a visa interview (some applicants may be eligible for interview waiver)
• Bring a passport valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay, unless a country agreement exempts this
• Bring evidence of the transit purpose — onward tickets or itinerary, and for crew a letter from the employer or agent

The C-1/D combined visa for crew

A person travelling to the US to join a vessel needs a C-1 transit visa in addition to the D crewmember visa. When both are applied for together, and the applicant's country reciprocity schedule allows it, they may be issued as a single combined C-1/D visa at the consular officer's discretion.

Crew applicants should be ready to show they are transiting to meet a specific vessel, for example with a letter from the employer or the employer's agent.

Important limits

• A C-1 visa is only for transit — it cannot be used to enter the US as a visitor
• A visa allows travel to a US port of entry; a CBP officer decides whether to admit the traveller and for how long
• Travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries connecting through the US may be able to use ESTA instead, but this does not cover crew joining a vessel
• Some nationalities must pay an additional visa issuance (reciprocity) fee based on their country's schedule