Shipmanagers are warning of mounting operational chaos as fresh US visa restrictions begin to bite, Splash has learned.
Multiple sources at leading shipmanagement companies confirm growing problems with obtaining valid US visas for crewmembers. The issues stem from a raft of executive orders signed by the current US president, which have shifted the long-established practice of multiple-entry seafarer visas toward single-entry permits.
Under the new system, seafarers must be repatriated after their first US port call and replaced until they can obtain another visa.
Visa validity periods are also being shortened under the Donald Trump regime, with caps below the allowable Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) contract lengths. This is preventing the crew from maintaining continuous employment and undermining contractual stability.
Shipmanagers say the implications are stark: soaring crewing costs, flight expenses for mid-voyage crew swaps, and serious disruption to vessel schedules.
With more than 84,000 vessel arrivals at US ports annually, industry insiders fear the visa squeeze could quickly cascade into a systemic issue for global supply chains.
