I think you REALLY need to discuss this with NMC. The way I read your quote is it is 5 years from conviction, not release. So you only have a little less than a year to go. That isn’t much time to get all your ducks in a row!
Here is the paragraph from your TSA post:
[ul]
[li]Waiver – If you have a disqualifying offense, meet the description of mental incapacity, or are an alien under temporary protected status, you may request a waiver. When completing a waiver request, [B] the applicant should describe why he/she no longer poses a security threat.[/B] Information that assists TSA with this determination includes:[/li][LIST]
[li]The circumstances surrounding the conviction.[/li][li][B]The length of time the applicant has been out of prison if sentenced to incarceration. [/B][/li][li][B]The applicant’s work and personal history since the conviction.[/B][/li][li][B]Whether the applicant made restitution or completed mitigation remedies, such as probation or community service.[/B][/li][li][B]References from employers, probation officers, parole officers, clergy, and others who know the applicant and can attest to his/her responsibility and good character.[/B][/li][li]If denied due to mental incapacity, court records or official medical release documents that relate to the applicant’s mental health may also be included with the waiver request.[/li][li]If an alien under temporary protected status, information attesting to that.[/li][/ul]
[/LIST]
I know you don’t want to hear a broken record, but if you spoon feed the TSA the exact info they want, and have it all filled out correctly and in the order they are looking for it will probably be approved. The ‘restitution and mitigation’ part is REALLY important. Have you gone to some type of counseling that you could get a letter from? it all helps. Just get all the info you can to add to the package when you apply. Let them know from the get go that you are applying for and have completed the checklist. And include the checklist with your app, so they can see what you are trying to accomplish. Hand carry them through your close observance and completion of their own list!
good luck. BTW, some companies hire released inmates. They get a tax incentive to hire ‘rehabilitated’ seaman!
It is actually 7 years from conviction or 5 years from release. So I will probably have to wait a year or two in order to show rehabilitation and get all of my “ducks in a row”. That’s OK I’m not in a big rush, this is something that I have always wanted to do but never did because of family issues. Those barriers are now gone so I will keep my dream alive until it becomes a reality. I have taken an anger management class and have several other certificates while I was locked-up. I need to get a work reference also however I have to find a job first! I can get personal references easily. It is just a matter of jumping through the hoops one at a time. You are completely right in that I will have to “spoon feed the TSA”. Could you give me the names of some of those companies? I know about the Federal Bonding program and the tax breaks for companies and I will be using those also.
[QUOTE=Wet Dog;44924]So in your opinion what would be the best time to go? I t is my understanding that it is busiest up there in summer, so May or early June?[/QUOTE]
December is a good month for January work, groundfish are going strong (cod, pollock A season) and there’s opillio (snow) crab. Slows down a bit in late March/early April, so a lot of boats and plants wind-up til Summer.
May and early June are good times to get hired for both the salmon and the groundfish B season.
There are jobs at onshore processing plants, offshore floaters, catcher-processor vessels (aka Head and Gut or just H&G for short), catcher boats, and tenders.
Most of the seafood processing companies hire out of Seattle. Some even recruit for seafood processors in other states (check their websites). No need to spend a lotta $ to fly up to Alaska when the seafood companies will hire you in Seattle and either pay your airfare to Alaska or have you ride the ship up from Seattle.
Yeah, I am planning to head to Seattle in May with a round trip ticket, all the necessary gear, enough money to last a few months, a strong work ethic, and my winning personality(j/k). I have checked out a few processors like: Icicle Seafoods, North Pacific Seafoods, Westward Seafoods, etc. They seem to do most of their hiring for the summer season. Hopefully I will be able to get on a North bound fishing boat or tender, if not I will try and get a job on a processor. I know what kind of gear I will need and have a good idea of how much money I will need, I just need to get up there, get on the docks, talk to people and try to make this happen! I am not the kind of person that thinks he knows everything so if anyone has any advice I will gladly accept it. That is the reason I am here, to get all of the advice and opinions that I can so I will be as prepared as possible when I get up there. This is by far the best and most active forum forum I have found. I would like to thank the administrators, moderators, and all of the helpful members of the gCaptain forum for providing this wonderful resource and very insightful help.
Try foreign ships/boats any kind, they are not interested in digging up someone else’s past…
If your ancestry goes back to Eastern Europe somewhere, there are lots of crewing companies in Croatia,
even in Limassol… Can be worth trying while you wait till next spring.