Does the new passport requirement affect offshore U.S. citizens or LPR fishermen?
The new passport requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens or LPR’s who fish offshore, so long as they do not land in foreign soil. For example, someone fishing in the Caribbean would only have to present a passport upon return if they traveled from a U.S. state or territory (Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and the U.S. Virgin Islands consist of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island, and many smaller islands) and landed in Jamaica, the Bahamas, or any non-U.S. territory. Nonresident aliens may not be employed aboard any U.S.-based fishing vessel as “D” crewmembers.
