Alaska cruise - Indian citizen residing in USA - ?passport issues

My nephew lives in USA - Indian citizen with (I believe) H1 visa. Married an American citizen/resident - now applying for a green card. I do not know if he physically has a passport with him, or whether it was sent with the green card application.

So he does not want to travel outside country, until he gets his green card.

He wants to (with the wife) go on an Alaska cruise this summer -originating in Seattle, and returning to Seattle.

Question - even if he never goes off the ship at the Canadian stopover (ie Victoria BC); will there by any consequences with US CBP at the 3 Alaska stops, or on return to Seattle?

This isnt a good place to ask ......you wont know if the answers you receive are right or wrong. Follow the wrong info and you could easily be left behind at the pier in Seattle. I know for a fact that someone is left behind every day.

Contact your cruiseline to see what their document requirements are.

Check the website for Canada Border Services Agency.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html

And since he will be re- entering the US, look at their site.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel

Only a copy of the passport goes in with the paperwork for the Green Card. EM

I agree with Maple. The cruise line HAS to keep up with who is allowed to do what or they risk getting stuck with a passenger who can't re-enter the U.S.

I will say that it doesn't matter whether he gets off at Victoria or not. The ship touched at a foreign port so everyone on board will have to go through Customs and be judged by an immigration official whether they can enter the U.S. I'm not familiar with an H1 visa but if it doesn't include permission to leave and re-enter the U.S., I will be surprised if the cruise line will take him until he has his green card.

The advice above to check with US and Canadian authorities is the best - but since I'm familiar with H1-B visas for Indian nationals, basically the key issue is that a Canadian Visa is definitely required since he does not yet have his green card.

Saying that he will not disembark at Victoria is NOT enough, he will almost certainly be refused boarding as the vessel definitely enters Canadian waters and Indian nationals without a green card require a visa to enter or transit Canada. Once he gets his green card he'll only need an eTA if he flies - cruising or crossing the land border will not need one.

Returning to the US is also fine - Mexico and Canada need no further paperwork for an H1-B holder to get back to the US other than his passport with the visa in (assuming it has not expired of course!)

That said, with plans already in place to amend the H1-B system this year and the new White House throwing out a lot of travel & immigration rule changes, even if you trust my info completely it could be rendered useless very soon...

This isnt a good place to ask ......you wont know if the answers you receive are right or wrong. Follow the wrong info and you could easily be left behind at the pier in Seattle. I know for a fact that someone is left behind every day.

 

Contact your cruiseline to see what their document requirements are.

 

Check the website for Canada Border Services Agency.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html

 

And since he will be re- entering the US, look at their site.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel

This was going to be my advice - ask the people in charge (US Customs & Border Patrol & the Canadian version.)

They will go thru US CBP on their return to Seattle. Whether or not he'll have issues is anybody's guess.

Could take a land tour. Parents did that years ago and had a great time.

You need to have valid passport with expiry date over 6 months away and Canadian visa. Also, you need to make sure your USA Visa has multiple entry. I know of people who were not allowed to board ship as they had Indian passport with no Canadian visa.