Maritime Crew Visa Subclass 988 Visa - E-HELP CONSULTANCY ...

A subclass 988 visa is a temporary visa in Australia and is more popularly known as the Maritime Crew visa. It allows foreign crew members to be in Australia as long as they are a crew member of a commercial (non-military) ship that is in Australia. The applicants are only allowed to arrive and depart by sea under this visa category.

Why to apply for a Subclass 988 Visa

A subclass 988 visa is a temporary permit to the country. This visa allows its holders to:

• Stay in the country as long as they are signed on the duty of a commercial ship in Australia.
• Perform work as a crew member of the ship.
• Arrive and depart Australia by sea.
• Travel to and fro to Australia by sea any number of times till the validity of the visa.
• An accompanying partner (spouse or de facto) of a crew member on a ship can also apply for this visa.
• An applicant can only include their partner or dependent child in their MCV 988 visa after they have been granted the visa.

The subclass 988 visa is usually valid for three years and is linked to the passport number of the applicant. To know more about the provisions under subclass 988 or your specific or general queries on eligibility, conditions, migration, and processing, contact our 988 visa consultants or immigration agents.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for a Maritime Crew Visa 988

To be eligible to apply for a subclass 988 visa, the applicant must meet the Department’s required eligibility conditions.

• The applicant must be outside Australia while making an application.
• The applicant must be an articled crew member on a commercial (non-military) ship en route to an international voyage through Australia.
• The applicant should not be a holder of a permanent Australian visa.
• The applicant must pay back or make arrangements to pay back all the dues (if any) that they owe to the Government of Australia.
• The applicant must meet all the health and character requirements as specified by the Department.
• The applicant must not have had a history of any previous visa being canceled or an application being refused.
• The applicant must only undertake work as a maritime crew on the ship.

The applicant must abide by the conditions attached to the visa and not undertake any other work apart from their designated crew duties. The applicant must fulfill the required eligibility conditions at all times; if there is a failure to do so, the visa may get canceled.

For being eligible to apply, an applicant should ensure that the commercial ship they are on should meet the definition of being a non-military ship in Australia. Further, visa application processing in Australia is complex and needs professional help. We suggest you book an appointment with our 988 visa consultants/immigration agents to secure favorable migration processing.

The shared information is exclusive but not exhaustive; one must comply with all the eligibility requirements before making an application. Immigration laws in Australia can get quite complicated for an applicant to understand.