The D nonimmigrant visa category is reserved for crewmen. Crewmen are individuals who are serving in good faith and assisting in the normal operations of a vessel or craft. Such nonimmigrant visa classification will include persons who are employed on the vessel, by owners of the vessel or by sub-contractors on the vessel. For example, individuals working as musicians, cooks, waiters, or mechanics on the vessel may be classified as D nonimmigrants.

As with the C nonimmigrant visa classification, the D nonimmigrant visa category is not likely to be one that is often encountered by the immigration practitioner; nevertheless, the regulatory criteria for this nonimmigrant visa category can add to the arsenal of potential options that exist for a client whose proposed temporary stay in the U.S. may potentially be covered by the D nonimmigrant visa regulations.