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Title 8 — Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-73not60

§1286 Discharge of Alien Crewmen; Penalties

Title 8 › Chapter 12— IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › Subchapter II— IMMIGRATION › Part VI— Special Provisions Relating to Alien Crewmen › § 1286

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

You can't release or pay off a foreign crew member who arrives on a ship or plane in the United States without first getting permission from the Attorney General. That rule covers owners, agents, consignees, charterers, captains, commanding officers, or anyone else in charge. If the Attorney General finds a violation, the person responsible must pay $3,000 to the Commissioner for each crew member released. The vessel or aircraft cannot get clearance to leave until the matter is decided and the money is paid, unless the owner deposits the amount or posts an approved bond. The Attorney General may reduce the penalty, but not below $1,500 per violation.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1286

Aliens and Nationality — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It shall be unlawful for any person, including the owner, agent, consignee, charterer, master, or commanding officer of any vessel or aircraft, to pay off or discharge any alien crewman, except an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, employed on board a vessel or aircraft arriving in the United States without first having obtained the consent of the Attorney General. If it shall appear to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that any alien crewman has been paid off or discharged in the United States in violation of the provisions of this section, such owner, agent, consignee, charterer, master, commanding officer, or other person, shall pay to the Commissioner the sum of $3,000 for each such violation. No vessel or aircraft shall be granted clearance pending the determination of the question of the liability to the payment of such sums, or while such sums remain unpaid, except that clearance may be granted prior to the determination of such question upon the deposit of an amount sufficient to cover such sums, or of a bond approved by the Commissioner with sufficient surety to secure the payment thereof. Such fine may, in the discretion of the Attorney General, be mitigated to not less than $1,500 for each violation, upon such terms as he shall think proper.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1990—Pub. L. 101–649 substituted “Commissioner the sum of $3,000” for “collector of customs of the customs district in which the violation occurred the sum of $1,000” in second sentence, “Commissioner” for “collector of customs” in third sentence, and “$1,500” for “$500” in fourth sentence.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–649 applicable to actions taken after Nov. 29, 1990, see section 543(c) of Pub. L. 101–649, set out as a note under section 1221 of this title. Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and

Transfer of Functions

For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service,

Transfer of Functions

, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1286

Title 8 — Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60