Title 8 › Chapter 12— IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › Subchapter II— IMMIGRATION › Part VI— Special Provisions Relating to Alien Crewmen › § 1282
An immigration officer can allow a foreign crew member who qualifies as a nonimmigrant under paragraph (15)(D) of section 1101(a) and who is otherwise admissible to come ashore for a short time. The officer decides this under rules made by the Attorney General, and can give a temporary landing permit that can later be taken away. The permit lasts no more than 29 days if the crew member will leave on the same ship or aircraft while it is in port, 29 days if the crew member plans to leave on a different ship or aircraft, or 180 days if the crew member will do ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfers and will leave within the allowed time. If an officer believes the person is not a real crew member or won’t leave on the vessel or aircraft that brought them, the officer can cancel the permit, take the person into custody, and ask the ship or aircraft captain to hold them on board if possible. The transportation company that brought the person must pay for removing them and for detention costs until removal. A crew member who willfully stays longer than the permit allows can be fined under Title 18, jailed for up to 6 months, or both.
Full Legal Text
Aliens and Nationality — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
8 U.S.C. § 1282
Title 8 — Aliens and Nationality
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60