Australian Maritime Safety Authority
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Exemption 31—Marine Safety (Expired pre-USL Code certificates)

If you wish to work on a domestic commercial vessel without a certificate of competency, you can apply for approval under Exemption 31 by completing and submitting miscellaneous form 758.

If you wish to use your pre-USL certificate to gain credit towards a certificate of competency you should include a copy of the pre-USL certificate with your application.

What this exemption will allow you to do

You are eligible for this exemption if you held a pre-USL Code certificate issued by the maritime safety authority of a state or the Northern Territory.

The pre-USL Code certificate must have:

  • been issued before 1 July 2013 and have expired before 1 January 2014, and
  • been based on competencies recognised before the USL Code commenced, and
  • entitle you to be the master, engineer or coxswain of a domestic commercial fishing vessel, based on competencies recognised in a certificate issued before the USL Code commenced.

Option 1: Continue to operate under your pre-USL Code certificate

Exemption 31 may allow you to continue to carry out duties as a master, engineer or coxswain of a fishing vessel if:

  • you have performed the operation in the five years before 30 June 2013, and
  • you have continued to perform the operation in the same capacity within the same limitations on the certificate.

In addition, if your pre-USL code certificate expired before 30 December 2013, you must have accrued qualifying sea service for 120 days on a fishing vessel in the five years before you apply for approval under Exemption 31.

Option 2: Apply for a certificate of competency

As the holder of a pre-USL Code certificate, you may qualify for a certificate of competency without having to re-train, demonstrate sea time or obtain a medical fitness certificate. 

You still must meet the eligibility criteria that applied to the pre-USL Code certificate on 31 December 2008.

Legislation and incorporated material

  • Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency—national law) [1]
  • National Standard for Commercial Vessels [2] 

Related information 

  • Certificates of competency [3]
  • Seafarer qualifications [4]
  • Miscellaneous form (for matters not covered by other forms) form 758 [5]
  • Uniform shipping laws code [6]
  • Fees, levies, and payments [7]
  • Tenders and auxiliary vessels [8]

Superseded

  • Exemption 31 – In force 1 February 2018 [9]
  • Exemption 31 – In force 1 July 2014 [10]
  • Exemption 31 – In force 1 January 2014 [11]

Author 

Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Documents 

PDF icon Download ex31-in-force-1-july-2020.pdf [12] (47.24 KB)

Source URL: https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards/exemption-31-marine-safety-expired-pre-usl-code-certificates

Links
[1] https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards/marine-order-505-certificates-competency-national-law-1
[2] https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards/national-standard-commercial-vessels-nscv
[3] https://www.amsa.gov.au/qualifications-training/domestic-qualifications#collapseArea383
[4] https://admin.www.amsa.gov.au/qualifications-training
[5] https://www.amsa.gov.au/forms/miscellaneous-form-matters-not-covered-other-forms
[6] https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards/uniform-shipping-laws-code
[7] https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/fees-levies-and-payments
[8] https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/domestic-commercial-vessels/tender-dory-and-auxiliary-vessels
[9] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/3021/download?token=lIRkfENK
[10] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/5069/download?token=SdD2QAhr
[11] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/761/download?token=_mvn6KT9
[12] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/6331/download?token=9pTVpRLe