Immigration Qualification Assessments
General
AMSA carries out qualifications assessments for persons holding overseas qualifications as Master, Engineer Officer or Deck Officer, wishing to immigrate to Australia. The occupations that AMSA is authorised to assess are as follows:
- Seafarer - Ship's Master (ASCO Code 2542-11)
- Seafarer - Ship's Engineer (ASCO Code 2542-15)
- Seafarer - Ship's Officer (ASCO Code 2542-19)
Applicants applying for a qualifications assessment for immigration purposes should note:
- Their initial application must be in writing using the appropriate
AMSA form
12 [
PDF: 89Kb]. Emailed applications or documents are not acceptable. - All documents must be certified/notarised copies of originals and if not in English an official translation supplied with the application and must include copy of birth certificate or passport, as proof of age and nationality , and all documents specified under the Deck and Engineer section below.
- AMSA strongly advises applicants not to send original documents for assessment, however they must bring with them all original documents when appearing for the oral examination;
- AMSA also advises applicants to carefully read all documentation relating to Australian immigration requirements/arrangements published by the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs prior to application;
- Applicants should also be aware that possession of an Australian seafarer qualification is no guarantee of employment in the Australian maritime industry and that opportunities for employment are very limited and likely to remain so in the foreseeable future.
If your application meets the initial requirements for a qualifications assessment, the applicant will receive a letter specifying they need to travel to Australia under a tourist visa to take the orals examination and also obtain a certificate of medical fitness.
Applications for a qualifications assessment must be on the appropriate
AMSA form
12 [
PDF: 89Kb], accompanied by payment ($185 Australian Dollars) and addressed
to the Manager at the following address.
Ship Operations and Qualifications
Maritime Operations Division,
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
GPO Box 2181
CANBERRA, ACT 2601
AustraliaFor methods of payment and the appropriate form please see the section Application Forms & Fees.
Deck Certificates
Specific documents required with initial application for a Master or Deck Officer qualifications assessment:
- Certified copies of overseas marine qualifications held, all pages, including Certificate of competency and GMDSS GOC);
- Certified copies of discharge book pages or watch-keeping certificates
- Originals of letters from the shipping company (not ship) on company letterhead, verifying the sea service. This must state the vessel name(s), IMO number and Gross Tonnage, the position the applicant held onboard and the dates onboard.
- Certified copies of courses completion certificates of practical training ashore including short courses/specialist training appropriate to the grade and sub grade of certificate held
Engineer Certificates
As specified in legislation applicants for a certificate of recognition for an engineering qualification must provide evidence of having completed sea service and practical training equivalent to that required for an Australian engineer certificate of competency.