Updated October 30, 2026

Transit visa USA: when you need a C-1 visa to change planes in the US

Changing planes in the US generally needs a visa or an ESTA, even when the US isn't your destination. Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries can transit on an approved ESTA. A valid B1/B2 visitor visa may also work for transit. Most other travelers need a C-1 transit visa, and crew flying in to join a ship or aircraft usually get a combined C-1/D visa.

A C-1 visa is only for "immediate and continuous" transit: a prearranged trip through the US with no unreasonable layover. The State Department says that if you want to sightsee or visit friends during the stop, you need the visa for that purpose instead, usually a visitor visa. Citizens of Canada and Bermuda don't need a visa to transit.

Do you need a transit visa to change planes in the US?

Usually, yes, unless you can transit on an ESTA or a visitor visa, or you're a citizen of Canada or Bermuda. The State Department's first example of a trip that needs a transit (C) visa is a traveler on the way to another country with a brief layover in the US, when the only reason for entering the US is to transit.

There's no visa-free transit for most travelers. The Foreign Affairs Manual, the State Department's guidance for consular officers, says the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) program has been suspended indefinitely.

Cruise stops count too. The Foreign Affairs Manual says a passenger whose ship is sailing to a foreign destination still needs a transit visa or another nonimmigrant visa if the ship makes port in the US, even if the passenger has no plan to land.

Here's what each kind of traveler needs, based on the State Department's transit, crewmember and Visa Waiver Program pages:

When can you transit on an ESTA or a B1/B2 visa instead?

ESTA. The State Department says transiting the US to other countries is generally permitted for Visa Waiver Program travelers. The ESTA FAQ says citizens of these countries need either an ESTA or a visa to transit. On the ESTA form, answer "Yes" to the question "Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country?" Our ESTA questions guide walks through the rest of the form.

Not everyone from a Visa Waiver Program country can use ESTA. The State Department says nationals who have been to certain listed countries, including Iran, Iraq and Syria, on or after March 1, 2011, or to Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, must get a visa instead, with limited exceptions for diplomatic or military travel.

A visitor visa. The State Department says that if you already have a valid B1/B2 visitor visa, you may be able to use it to transit. A visitor visa is also what you need if the stop is really a short visit, for example a night in the city to see friends. See B1 vs B2 visa for what each one covers.

What does a C-1 transit visa interview focus on?

The officer checks that the US is a pass-through, not the trip. The Foreign Affairs Manual lists four things an officer must be satisfied of for a C-1 visa:

1. Immediate and continuous transit. You plan a reasonably quick departure on a prearranged itinerary, without an unreasonable layover.
2. An onward ticket. You hold a ticket on a common carrier, such as an airline, or other proof of how you'll reach your destination.
3. Enough money. You have, or can get, enough funds for the transit journey.
4. Permission to enter the next country. You have permission to enter a country other than the US after the transit, unless you can show that advance permission isn't required.

Ties to home still matter. The Foreign Affairs Manual says the INA 214(b) refusal ground applies to C-1 and C-1/D applicants, so an officer can refuse you if you don't show that you'll leave. The State Department says proof of employment or family ties may be enough to show that your trip is transit only and that you'll return home. See 214(b) visa refusal for what that refusal means.

Expect the questions to follow those checks. Where are you flying after the US, and when does that flight leave? Can you show the onward ticket? Do you have a visa for your destination, if it needs one? Who is paying for the trip? What do you do at home? Each one tests a single requirement, and a short true answer backed by a document is what the officer is looking for.

What is the C-1/D crew visa?

A C-1/D visa combines two visas for airline and ship crew. The D part lets you land in the US as a working crewmember. The C-1 part lets you travel through the US as a passenger, for example when you fly into a US airport to join your ship.

• Who gets a D visa. The State Department says D visas are for people working on board commercial sea vessels or international airlines, doing work needed for normal operation, who will leave the US on the same vessel or another one within 29 days. Its examples include pilots, flight attendants, captains, engineers, deckhands, trainees on a training vessel, and cruise ship lifeguards, cooks, waiters and beauticians.
• Why crew also need C-1. The State Department says a crewmember who travels to the US to meet and board the vessel needs a C-1 transit visa in addition to the D visa.
• One visa or two. If you apply for both at once and your country's reciprocity schedule allows it, you may get a single C-1/D visa. The Foreign Affairs Manual tells officers to issue the combined visa whenever reciprocity allows, even for first-time crewmembers, because crew often travel by other means to their next assignment or home.
• You don't need a job yet. You can apply for a crewmember visa without being employed. The State Department says you can only use it to enter a US port if you're employed on the vessel or aircraft you arrive on.

Some jobs at sea don't qualify for a D visa. The State Department says people doing dry dock repairs under warranty, coasting officers, crew on a private yacht cruising US waters for more than 29 days, and crew going to the Outer Continental Shelf may be able to apply for a B-1 visa instead. Temporary crew on a fishing vessel based in the US may be able to apply for an H-2 visa. Family members can't get a D visa as dependents. The State Department says a crewmember's spouse and unmarried minor children may apply for visitor visas to come along.

What questions are asked in a C-1/D visa interview?

The State Department doesn't publish a C-1/D question list. The questions below follow from what the Foreign Affairs Manual tells officers to check for crewmembers. Each row says what the question tests, not what to say.

The general rules in our US visa interview tips apply here too: short, true answers that match your DS-160 and your papers.

What documents do you need for a US transit visa?

The State Department's transit and crewmember pages list the same required documents:

• Passport valid at least six months beyond your stay in the US, unless your country is exempt
• DS-160 confirmation page (see DS-160 and your visa interview)
• Application fee receipt, if you pay before the interview
• Photo, only if your DS-160 photo upload failed

The officer may ask for more. For a C-1, the State Department says that may include proof of your onward travel or permission to enter another country, proof you can pay your costs, and proof of your home and your plan to return. For crew, it's commonly a letter from your employer or your employer's agent showing that you're transiting to meet the vessel.

How do you apply, and how long can you stay?

1. Fill in the DS-160 online and upload your photo.
2. Pay the application fee. Both State Department pages showed a $185 application fee when we checked on October 30, 2026. An issuance fee may also apply, depending on your nationality.
3. Book an interview, generally at the US embassy or consulate in the country where you live. The State Department says it may be harder to qualify outside your country of residence.
4. Attend the interview. Fingerprints are usually taken then. Some cases need administrative processing afterward.

Plan for an in-person interview. Since October 1, 2025, the State Department says nonimmigrant visa applicants generally need one. Its interview waiver exceptions include C-3 visas for foreign government officials in transit but don't include C-1 or C-1/D. See our interview waiver guide.

A C-1 stay is short. The Foreign Affairs Manual says a C-1 admission can't be longer than 29 days. The State Department also says not to make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have the visa.

Want to rehearse a visitor visa interview with an AI officer before the real one? See B1/B2 visa interview practice.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.