If you are crewing a private or pleasure yacht, you want a B-1/B-2. The C-1/D crew visa is for crew of commercial vessels and airlines, and the US State Department explicitly excludes private yachts from it.
This is the most misunderstood point in yachting, and getting it backwards at an embassy interview causes refusals.
What the State Department actually says
Its crewmember visa page lists situations where you do not qualify for a D visa. One of them, word for word: "You are a crewmember on a private yacht sailing out of a foreign port which will be cruising in U.S. waters for more than 29 days". Those applicants should apply for a B-1 instead.
The logic is that the crew visa exists to move working crew on commercial vessels engaged in trade. A private yacht is not in trade, so the system treats you closer to a business visitor.
Quick reference
Crew on a private yacht: B-1/B-2
Crew of a commercial vessel or airline: C-1/D
Canadian or Bermudian citizens as crew: no visa required
Arriving by private yacht on a Visa Waiver nationality: ESTA will not work, you need a visa
The real refusal risk
Most B-1/B-2 refusals are under section 214(b), the presumption that you intend to immigrate. It is rarely about your yachting credentials and almost always about whether the officer believes you will leave.
Be straightforward about what you do. Crewing a foreign-flagged private yacht is a recognised B-1 activity and the officer has seen it before. Advice circulating online to avoid mentioning work is bad advice: misrepresentation carries far worse consequences than a refusal.
Sources
Last reviewed 16 August 2026. Not immigration advice. Consular practice varies.