Q: I want to work on a cruise ship and I hear you need to get a visa to do this kind of work. What should I do first?

A: The first step to working on a cruise ship is to get the job. Crew members of the ship provide for the operation and service of the vessel, but jobs may also be available in other capacities such as entertainment, bartending, wait staff, or housekeeping. Check with the individual cruise companies to see if they have any job openings in your field.

Once you have the job offer, you can apply for a C1/D visa to actually perform the job. C1/D visas can be issued to staff of international airlines or ships that will call at a US port. In determining whether an individual qualifies for a C1/D visa, consular officers take into consideration the individual’s responsibilities and activities on the vessel.

Please access the website of our authorised service provider to obtain information on how to complete the application form, pay the fee, and schedule an appointment: usvisa-info.com. To prepare for the interview, ask your employer to provide you with a current contract or letter of employment stating the vessel you will travel with and your job responsibilities. Bring this to the interview along with the standard documentation for nonimmigrant visa interviews (valid passport, all previous passports/visas, DS-160 confirmation sheet, appointment confirmation, and one passport-sized photo). If available, you may also want to bring documents which certify that you are qualified for your job duties.

In addition to the C1/D visa, applicants may apply for a B1/B2 visa at no cost at the same time they apply for the C1/D visa. If you’d like to do this, fill out a separate application for each visa and bring both confirmation sheets to the interview at the embassy.

You will only be required to pay one fee. Successful C1/D applicants are not guaranteed B1/B2 visas; applicants must still prove to the consular officer that they meet all of the qualifications for a B1/B2 visa in order to be granted this visa class.

If you are interested in obtaining a Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC), which is an identification credential for all personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas of facilities and vessels regulated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), visit www.tsa.gov/stakeholders/transportation-worker-identification-credential-twic%C2%AE. The embassy does not process TWIC applications.

You can find more information about how to travel to the US on

our website, www.kingston.usembassy.gov.

Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The embassy staff in Kingston will answer questions you may have regarding the US Mission, including consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect privacy, staff will not answer questions about specific visa applications. The embassy employs a visa appointment system, so it is only necessary for visa applicants to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment. Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver.com and we will forward them to the embassy.