How this visa works
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Travelling to Australia by sea
Your Maritime Crew visa is only valid for entry to Australia by sea as crew, supernumerary crew, or the spouse or dependent child of crew on a non-military ship.
If you sign off your ship while it is in Australia, you will have five (5) days to either depart Australia or sign onto another non-military ship.
If the ship on which you travel to Australia is ceasing its international voyage status and is declared 'imported' for domestic consumption by the Australian Customs Service (Customs), you will have five (5) days to depart Australia, sign onto another non-military ship or obtain another suitable visa from the department to authorise your continued lawful stay in Australia.
The master of the vessel should make the crew aware if Customs 'imports' the vessel. Crew are not permitted to sign-on to an imported vessel with a Maritime Crew visa; they must hold an appropriate visa such as a 457 business visa.
Note: If there are compelling reasons beyond your control which may prevent your departure from Australia within the five (5) day sign off period, you must contact an authorised officer from either Customs or the department to consider an extension to the five (5) day period while you are still lawful.
Travelling to Australia by air
You cannot use your Maritime Crew visa for air travel to Australia. If you have been granted a Maritime Crew visa and you have to travel to Australia by air to join your ship in Australia, you must obtain another type of visa which permits travel by air, such as a Transit visa, an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or a Visitor visa.
See:
Transit Visa (Subclass 771)
Electronic
Travel Authority (ETA)
Using a Transit Visa
You must already hold a Maritime Crew visa in order to be granted a Transit visa to travel to Australia by air to join a vessel as crew. Usually a Transit visa will only allow a single entry to Australia by maritime crew. A new Transit visa will be required each time you seek to travel to Australia by air to join a ship.
You must sign onto your ship within five (5) days of arrival in Australia.
Note: If you are unable to sign onto your ship within five (5) days of arrival, you must apply for another visa (for example, a Visitor visa) during the five (5) day period or you will become unlawful and your Maritime Crew visa will cease. This would require you to re-apply for a Maritime Crew visa from outside Australia if you wish to enter Australia again as crew.
Using an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or a Visitor Visa
You must have been granted your Maritime Crew visa before you sign onto your ship.
You can only apply for a Maritime Crew visa while you are outside Australia.
If you do not already hold a Maritime Crew visa you are strongly encouraged to apply for a Maritime Crew visa well before you intend to fly to Australia.
You must sign onto your ship during the validity period of your visa, (that is, three (3) months from arrival in Australia for an ETA, a Visitor visa is usually three (3) months but may be shorter).
Bringing family
Your spouse and dependent children (generally those under 18 years of age), who are travelling to Australia with you as a member of crew of a non-military ship, can each apply on separate applications for a Maritime Crew visa.
The crew member must already have applied for, or been granted their Maritime Crew visa and a Maritime Crew visa cannot be granted to a spouse or dependent child until after the crew member has been granted their visa.
A spouse and dependent children must remain on the same vessel as the crew member, in order to continue to hold their Maritime Crew visa. If a crew member's Maritime Crew visa ceases for any reason, the Maritime Crew visa held by a spouse or dependent child will also cease.
A spouse and dependent child entering Australia by air and travelling with a crew member, or joining a crew member onboard a ship, must apply for another visa which permits entry by air as the Maritime Crew visa is not valid for air travel.
Work and Study
Maritime crew are only able to perform work in relation to the usual operational requirements of the ship while they are in Australia. A spouse or dependent child is not permitted to work or study while in Australia.
Health
The health of you and your family is your responsibility. You will not be covered by Australia’s national health scheme unless you are from a country that has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia. Any cost associated with any medical treatment required by you or your family when in Australia is your responsibility. You may wish to discuss this with your shipping employer.
If, at the time you enter Australia on your ship, you are suffering from any infectious disease, or one which may pose a public health threat in Australia such as tuberculosis, the master of your ship will be required to notify the relevant quarantine authorities in Australia.