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It has always been the case that to enter the USA on your own boat or as
crew on a yacht you needed a full US Visa. Previously though if you had managed
to hold onto your visa waver given to you on arrival into the USA on a
commercial carrier that seemed to be OK.
Pre the recent take-over by Homeland Security when you entered the US by
ship or commercial airline as a UK (or other appropriate country) you got a visa
waver - they never took that from you when you left the USA it was just left
in your possession to time out 90 days after issue. So you could fly into St
Thomas get your Visa waver take the ferry to the BVI's (retaining your visa
waver) and sail back to the USVI's so long as your visa waver was valid (90
days). When i was down there in the USVI's about 4 years ago renovating a
Cat for a rich american lady in the USVI's this was ok and when my 90 days was
up i just flew on the seaplane from St Croix to STT got the ferry into and out
of Tortola and got a new 90 visa waver and took the fast ferry back to St
Croix. This did create a little stir with the customs at STT though. Being
power mad they did not like someone working the system so obviously (even
though it was the Customs guy in STX who told me what to do) but after sending me
to the back of the queue for being a smart ass and getting a scolding from a
rather nice customs lady i did get my 90 day Visa waver.
Now when you exit the US and get onto the ferry at STT to go to the BVI's
your visa waver gets confiscated so there is no way you can come back on a non
commercial vessel.
IT IS NOT a stamped passport you need but the visa waver document in your
passport.
We discovered that the hard way about this time last year - that was the
first time that i experienced when you exited the US you lost your visa waver
document - previously no one really cared until your 90 days was up. So last
year we could not sail to the USVI's which was part of the sailing plan.
We got US Visas ASAP when we came back - go to Belfast if you are in the UK.
This year we went over with my sis and family we had full US visas but they
did not so we sailed the boat to St John and they took the ferry to STJ - once
legally in the USVI's with the visa waver in their passports they were free
to sail on the boat in the USVI's
So to answer your question now that homeland security has gone wild fencing
the ferry dock etc to keep the bad guys out. There is no way you can buck the
system. With a private yacht you have to come in legally and your crew has
to as well. So to be 100% safe and hassle free you and all of your crew need
a US Visa in your/their passports or if you can get the boat delivered to
the USVI's legally by AN Other a valid visa waver only obtainable from a
commercial carrier as you enter the USA if you are a citizen of a country taking
part in the visa waver scheme.
regards
David
In a message dated 05/06/2006 23:17:00 GMT Daylight Time,
writes:
When cruising Bahamas and BVIs I have met boaters from Europe that were
turned away from USA because they did not have pre arranged visa.
There was one story of a cruiser that went to BVI, took local ferry to USVI,
got passport stamped, then entered US with boat. Does this really work, and
if so, 100% of the time?
A visa is not required when entering by public transport, but IS required
when entering by private boat. This is why cruisers arrived unaware of the
visa need.
Lee Haefele
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