IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Department of State has temporarily extended the expiration period requirement for Seafarer Visa Reissuance Program(SeaVRP) from 24 to 48 months. This policy is in effect until December 31 2023, and applicable for applicants renewing their nonimmigrant visa in the same classification, including C1/D and B1-OCS. The appointment slots is at 12:00 PM. Please be reminded that only the designated liaison officer of your company may come to the Embassy to submit C1/D (SeaVRP) applications. No personal appearances by an applicant will be allowed.
The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit has a Seafarer Reissuance Program (SeaVRP) which allocates expedited appointments and the possibility of a waived interview for C1/D applicants who meet the following conditions:
- Be a Philippine passport holder;
- Possess a full-validity (5 years) C1/D visa that is either still valid or has expired within the last 48 months;
- Have no visa refusal in any visa class since the last issuance;
- Have no criminal history; and
- Belong to an accredited manning agency.
B1-OCS applicants are also eligible provided they meet the guidelines above for their B1-OCS visa and have a valid U.S. Coast Guard letter. B1-Yacht applicants and B1-Dry Dock workers will be required to interview with a consular officer and are not eligible for the SeaVRP program.
Booking Procedures
Accredited manning agencies will book an appointment in the designated timeslot which is 12:00 pm from Monday to Friday. Once the appointment is booked, a representative from the manning agency will submit the following documents in person:
- Confirmation page of the DS-160, Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) Form
- A passport valid for travel to the United States with a validity date of at least six months beyond the applicant’s intended period of stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions)
- The old passport containing the most recently issued visa.
- One (1) 2×2 photograph
- Guarantee Letter from the applicant’s manning agency
- Drop Off Liaison Officers must also submit copies of a manifest of all applicants from the manning agency that are submitted on that date.
- The manifest must include the date and time of the appointment for the applicant, applicant’s name, date of birth, passport number and date of expiration for the most recently expired visa
- The manifest must be alphabetized by last name
- All information for one applicant must be printed on the same page (multiple applicants can appear on that page, but make sure the information is not cut off).