Tag: visa

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has issued a factsheet with important visa information for the commercial maritime industry.

A group of leading shipping organizations has sent an open letter to Asian governments, calling them to resolve the crew change crisis by allowing, among others, temporary visa waivers and a visa free transit area in Asia for seafarers.

Britannia P&I Club informed that it has recently been advised that some operators have been charged USD3,600 for security guards in respect of crew members not holding current US visas, even though they were not disembarking. In order to avoid such charges, all crew should have valid visas before arriving at US ports.

US Coast Guard published the Seafarers’ Access to Maritime Facilities Final Rule in the Federal Register on April 1, 2019, informing owners and operators of Maritime Transportation Security Act-regulated facilities that they are required to provide seafarers, holding valid US visas and other covered individuals, with the ability to transit through the facility in a timely manner and at no cost to the individuals.

While restrictions on immigration can reduce overall migration, they can also provide the opposite results, as more migrants would try to use unauthorised channels. This was the finding of a new UCL-led research in collaboration with Royal Holloway and University of Birmingham.

Seafarers who want to embark or disembark at the Fujairah port in United Arab Emirates will now have to obtain a 96 hour online visa. However, nationals from the Gulf Cooperation Council Oman, Saudi, Kuwait and Bahrain, will not require such a visa. Until now, Fujairah Port was granting on-arrival visas for 48 countries

The Swedish P&I Club has highlighted the increase of supernumeraries arriving to Argentina without holding the necessary VISA when required. In such case, the carriers are subject to a fine imposed by the Migration Authorities.

EMTI has welcomed an initiative by the United States that will provide Ethiopian seafarers

The ECSA, Norway, and CLIA Europe, welcome the proposal for a revision of the EU Visa Code

Information by the UK P&I Club Club Members are expressing concern over requirements for cadets, supernumeraries and supercargoes onboard to possess a valid visa when visiting Nigerian Ports. Members with vessels frequently trading to Nigeria say that it is difficult to obtain such visas, imposes substantial administrative problems and is not viable for vessels in worldwide trade.Fines of US$ 2000 per infringement are being charged to vessels allegedly due to non-compliance with visa regulations (relevant regulations can be found at )Immigration authorities' recognise cadets, supernumeraries and supercargoes to be classified as passengers and as such require valid entry visas.In recent incidents Immigration officers are very actively scrutinising crew contracts, seaman's discharge books, passports and Certificates of Competencies to look for any minor discrepancy for which they impose the fine of US$ 2000.It is also noted that the level of compliance to these regulations and the fines imposed by the Immigration officials may vary between differing immigration Officers.Source: The UK P&I Club