If a "Ships Manager" is considered an officer by the USCG then, as Rusty says, you are out of luck.

However, if the position is just a "professional" one, you might be able to qualify for one of the following work visa's (and work on a US ship as such). Unfortunately, unless your employer wants to hire a professional immigration attorney, they are not that easy to get on short notice.

H1B Specialty Occupation Visas

Description:

This is a visa for people coming to the USA to work for a US employer in a professional-level position. Valid for 3 years initially.

Candidate Requirements:

Candidate must have secured job offer from a US source.

In order to get an H1B visa you will need the equivalent of a US college or university degree in a relevant subject.

If you have been educated outside the US, this requirement can often be met by:

EITHER - A non-US and/or only partly relevant degree, followed by three or more years work experience.

OR – Twelve years of high-level work experience.

L1 Intra-Company Transfer Visas

Description:

The L1 visa is used to transfer to a US parent, affiliate, subsidiary or branch office an employee from a related foreign company. There are two types of L1 visas:

·         The L1A for Executive/Managerial staff

·         The L1B for Specialist Knowledge staff

·         L1 visas are issued for an initial 1 or 3 years.

Candidate Requirements:

You must have worked for the transferring employer outside US for at least one year in the last three.

If you are a manager/executive, you must be going to manage a major subdivision or function of your employer's US operation.

If you are a specialized knowledge worker, you must have in-depth experience of your employer's particular products, processes, procedures and/or practices.