Obligations
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Visa validity and legal requirements to maintain the visa
You must continue to satisfy the legal requirements under which you were granted the visa, and its specific requirements while you are in Australia, or your visa will cease and will be invalid.
If your visa becomes invalid, you will be prevented from leaving your vessel while it is in Australia, or you may be removed from the vessel and placed in detention until arrangements for your departure from Australia are made.
Crew members
Your Maritime Crew visa normally remains valid for three (3) years from the date it is granted.
If you are a crew member, your Maritime Crew visa will automatically cease and be invalid if:
- you do not sign onto your ship within five (5) days of arriving in Australia by air on a transit visa and hold no other visa (other than a Maritime Crew visa) to remain in Australia
- any other visa that you hold is cancelled, or if you are in Australia on any other type of visa (other than a Maritime Crew visa) and that visa expires and you become unlawful
- you sign off your ship and you do not depart Australia within five (5) days, obtain another type of visa or sign onto another non-military ship in that time
or - 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), and within five (5) days you do not depart Australia, sign onto another non-military ship, or you do not obtain another suitable visa from the department to authorise your continued lawful stay in Australia. The master of the vessel should inform the crew if Customs 'imports' the vessel.
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 of Customs or the department to consider an extension to the five (5) day period while you are still lawful.
Your Maritime Crew visa will also be ceased if:
- you no longer satisfy the legal requirements under which you were granted the visa
- you perform work while in Australia other than work that is required in relation
to the usual operational requirements of the ship
or - it is determined that your presence in Australia is undesirable.
Spouse and dependent children
If you are a spouse or dependent child of a crew member, your Maritime Crew visa will automatically cease and be invalid:
- if the crew member who is the spouse/parent of the holder has their Maritime Crew visa ceased or cancelled
- if any other visa that is held is cancelled, or if the person is in Australia on any other type of visa and that visa expires and the person becomes unlawful
- if the visa holder enters Australia on a ship but not with the crew member who is the spouse/parent of the visa holder (and no other visa other than a MCV is held)
- if the visa holder ceases to accompany the crew member who is the spouse/parent
of the visa holder and does not depart Australia, or obtain another suitable
visa from the department to authorise their continued lawful stay in Australia
or - if the ship on which the visa holder travels to Australia is ceasing its international voyage status and is declared 'imported' for domestic consumption by the Australian Customs Service (Customs), and within five (5) days the visa holder does not depart Australia, join their crew member spouse/parent on another non-military ship, or does not obtain another suitable visa from the department to authorise their continued lawful stay in Australia.
Your Maritime Crew visa will also be ceased if:
- you no longer satisfy the legal requirements under which you were granted the visa
- you perform any work while in Australia
or - it is determined that your presence in Australia is undesirable.