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Requirements for Maritime Crew Visa when entering into Australia
By 1 July 2007 Australia has introduced requirements regarding an additional visa for maritime crew: Maritime Crew Visa (MCV).
By 1 January 2008 the MCV becomes mandatory. In order to be able to enter Australia from the sea, see crew must from that date on be of the possession of:
- a valid national passport
- a valid MCV granted for the same passport
- another document that establishes the crew member’s employment on the vessel (i.e. crew list, contract or seaman’s book)
In order to achieve MCV the seafarer or his representative must apply formally by means of an application form either online or by paper.
The MCV can be applied for either online on www.immi.gov.au/sea/mcv or by ordinary mail to the address: Brisbane Global Processing Centre, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, GPO Box 9984, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia.
Key features of the MCV are as follows:
- Foreign sea crew will be required to hold an MCV for arrival and stay in Australia. This also includes supernumerary crew, spouses and dependent children of crew
- Visa applicants must be outside Australia at the time of applying for an MCV
- MCV is free of charge
- MCV is granted for three (3) years
- MCV is only valid for travel to Australia by sea as ships’ crew
- MCV allows multiple entries to Australia by sea during the three (3) year validity
- MCV does not allow travel to Australia by air. Crew needs to obtain another type of valid visa for air travel, such as a Transit visa or an Electronic Travel Authority in order to enter Australia legally by plane
- An MCV only permits work associated with the duties performed as crew with the vessel
- An MCV application may be completed by a third party, such as a shipping agent, on behalf of an individual applicant.
Foreign crew not having an MCV is restricted on board the vessel. Furthermore, the operator/ master or agent may be liable for a fine of $5000 for each person who is refused immigration clearance.
The MCV is electronically recorded against the passport, and in this way there is no visa label in the passport. MCV is connected to the passport number stated by the application of MCV. Therefore, the seafarer must apply the same passport when entering Australia. If the seafarer gets a new passport, information hereof must be sent to the Australian authorities before departure to Australia. Otherwise, entering can be denied. The seafarer’s ID card is not adequate.
Crew must have an MCV in order to achieve a transit visa for travelling by air to Australia and hereinafter sign on to a ship.
For further information please see www.immi.gov.au/sea/mcv.
07. May 2009
by
Laura Bonde-Østerborg
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