A decision involving a cruise ship crew member who recently got engaged while on vacation in the U.S. is stirring up a discussion online. The trouble could begin if he hops back on the ship after getting married.
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People who watch the popular reality TV show 90 Day Fiancé often see couples facing challenges with U.S. immigration rules. A Reddit post by a former cruise ship employee pointed out something unique involving a cruise ship worker and his K1 visa.
That twist involves Juan, a former cruise ship bartender, and his fiancé, Jessica. Their situation points out this issue: Juan’s cruise job in international waters clashes with U.S. immigration rules as the wedding date gets closer.
From Cruise Ship to K1 Visa Life
Juan used to work on Carnival Magic, which sails out of PortMiami. He came to the United States with a K1 fiancé visa so he could marry Jessica. The K1 visa is designed to let a foreign national come to the U.S. to marry their U.S. citizen partner within 90 days.
After they get married, the foreign spouse typically applies to change their status to become a permanent resident, which people often call getting a Green Card.
Immigration and Life at Sea
Now, here’s where working on a cruise ship adds a complication. As a former cruise ship employee explained online, having a job on a cruise ship, even one based in the U.S., means you spend time in international waters. For immigration purposes, sailing out of U.S. waters is generally seen as leaving the United States.
Under U.S. immigration rules, people in the U.S. who came on a K1 visa or who are married and waiting for their Green Card application to be approved have big limits on traveling internationally.
Leaving the United States without getting special permission first (called Advance Parole) can look like they are giving up on their application for permanent residency. This could mess up their whole immigration process.
As the former employee put it, Juan “requires a Green Card to leave and come back, and can only apply for one after his marriage.”
Cruise Ship Contracts Are Strict
The former cruise worker’s comments on Reddit point out what it’s like to work at sea. Cruise ship employees have contracts that require them to be on the ship when it’s scheduled to sail. If you miss when the ship leaves, the company usually treats it like you quit your job.
The former employee on Reddit stressed the strict nature of these jobs, noting you “cannot pause a contract with a cruise ship.” If you are told to be in the home port to get on your next cruise and you miss it, “the company considers your employment terminated.”
Even though employees get vacation time, their job status is tied to being on that ship as it travels internationally.
The Potential Problem
The social media post mentioned that on the reality TV show, Juan didn’t officially quit his cruise job, which made some think he might have wanted to go back. But trying to start a cruise ship contract again soon after getting married on that K1 path, and before getting the travel permit (Advance Parole), would likely be seen as leaving the U.S. without permission.
If that happens, his Green Card application could be denied. This might mean he would have to leave the U.S. and go through the long and complicated immigration process from his home country all over again.
What might seem like an easy choice for Juan to return to work could have a big impact on his potential new life with Jessica in the U.S., adding more drama to the situation. But then again, reality TV would not exist without a bit of drama, right?
