Marine Operations Note: 03/2005 - Certificates of Receipt of Application (CRA) for Ratings

8 June 2005

MARINE OPERATIONS NOTE: 3/2005

RE: Certificates of Receipt of Application (CRA) for Ratings

Dear Owner/Operator:

References:

(a) Publication RLM 118.

(b) International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended. (STCW Convention).

Liberian Maritime Regulation 10.293 requires all officers to display their license or temporary permit, and paragraph 11.4.2 of RLM 118 describes what is required for an officer to receive a Certificate of Receipt of Application. The CRA may serve as a temporary permit for 90 days while the officer’s application for a Liberian License is being processed.

STCW Regulation I/10.5 states that: “Documentary proof shall be readily available that an application for an endorsement has been submitted to the Administration.” In the past this Administration has stated that a copy of the completed application was sufficient evidence that an individual ratings’ application for Liberian document has been received and is being processed, unfortunately that has not been sufficient for some Port State Control inspectors. To better meet the requirements of STCW Regulation I/10.5 and in response to requests from owners to provide written confirmation to a port state control authority, the Administration is now issuing a “Certificate of Receipt of Application” for ratings (crew other than officers), which is similar to the CRA previously issued only to officers.

The Liberian “Certificate of Receipt of Application” will now be available to all personnel (officers and ratings) who are applying for Liberian seafarer’s document or license endorsement.

Definitions

Officer: Personnel serving on board a vessel or assigned to a vessel and who have management or operational level responsibilities.

Ratings: Personnel serving on board a vessel or assigned to a vessel and who have neither management nor operational level responsibilities.

CRA Policy

Officers: All officers reporting on board must have in hand a Liberian license or a Certificate of Receipt of Application (CRA) (see 10.293 of the Liberian Maritime Regulations).

Ratings: Ratings which do not have a Liberian seafarer’s document when reporting onboard, may apply for a CRA, which will serve as a temporary document for up to 90 days from the date on the application.

Applying for a CRA:

To receive a CRA, an individual must:

• be assigned to a Liberian flagged vessel,
• present a copy of his National passport, and
• present an identity photo (1.75 inches (4.5 cm) x 1.75 inches (4.5 cm)). 300 dpi minimum if scanned.

As previously stated, the additional requirements for officers to receive a CRA are defined in paragraph 11.4.2 of RLM 118

Additionally any rating with a special qualification as an engine room watch stander or navigational watch stander must present a copy of their National Certificate of Competency to receive a CRA which reflects this competency.

How to submit an application for a CRA:

Requests for Certificate of Receipt of Application may be submitted either:

• through CRA authorized Filing Agents,
• by mail to this office (address below),
• by submitting scanned copies of the above documents by email to seafarers@liscr.com.

By mail:

Seafarers Certification and Documentation c/o Office of the Deputy Commissioner, R.L.

LISCR, LLC

8619 Westwood Center Dr., Suite 300 Vienna, VA 22182 USA

Fees: The fee for a CRA is listed in Annex 5 of RLM-118 and is currently US$35.

Effective Date

The effective date for the implementation of the revised policy is 1 July 2005.

Please contact Captain Eric Clarke at +1-703-251-2417 or email at eclarke@liscr.com if you have any question or need any clarification.

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