Processing of Maritime Crew Visas

19 Mar 2020 / Australia

Crew arriving in Australia are being urged to ensure they have a valid visa well ahead of their arrival, as the Department of Home Affairs Maritime Global Processing Centre (MGPC) will close for the Easter holiday from 4pm on Thursday 9 April until start of business on Tuesday 14 April. No Maritime Crew Visas (MCVs) will be processed during this period.

Applications for crew arriving in Australia on a vessel by sea should be lodged at least 14 days prior to departure from a port overseas in order to avoid any issues with delays to processing, crew travelling and/or arriving without visas, or associated punitive action.

This means applications should be lodged no later than Tuesday 24 March for crew intending to arrive in Australia from an overseas port between 9 and 14 April 2020.

The Australian Border Force will remain operational 24/7 basis over the holiday period.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, travel restrictions are in place for all travelers to Australia. For the latest information on these restrictions go to https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/current-alerts/novel-coronavirus

For information about operations in Australia, contact GAC Australia at [email protected]

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