NMC Getting Better

Professional Mariner Forum
1

I recently went through an upgrade from 3/M to 2/M, and was SHOCKED at the quickness with which the NMC got my documents back to me. Some might remember the 3 month debacle I had with them last year just trying to get a Tankerman PIC.

I have to commend the NMC for their new policy of allowing mariners to email all of their paperwork to a REC, which saves many of us the time (and expense) of getting to a REC for a 10 minute appointment. (For those not familiar, read this).

The Homeport site has changed slightly, which was something I wasn’t a fan of. Now the site is only updated at 0700 (albeit everyday). Personally I liked to check the site periodically throughout the day and hope that I had moved along the track. Now they’ll send you an email as your paperwork reaches and completes each step in the process.

My timeline:
4/29 - Emailed all of my paperwork to REC Boston.
5/4 - Received email that my paperwork was mailed to NMC.
5/7 - "Cleared safety and suitability vetting process (whatever that means) and moved onto the medical screening process."
5/10 - Cleared safety, suitability, and medical - awaiting a professional qualification evaluation.
5/11 - Being evaluated for professional qualifications.
5/11 - Completed evaluation and approved for issuance.
5/13 - Issued and mailed.

2 weeks from email to issued! I was pretty impressed. Now, when I received it in the mail, part of it was wrong, but I immediately called the NMC and explained the situation. I was called back the next day, it was printed the day after, and in my mailbox 3 days later.

Something those with MMC’s might not know that I discovered through this. Under the old system (at least my impression of it, I never upgraded under it), when you upgraded, it was an automatic renewal, and you had another 5 years from the date they printed your new license. With the MMC, this is not the case. I didn’t check “Renew” on the application (my fault), and asked the guy who called me to fix my stickers. Turns out if I had checked Renew, it wouldn’t have cost any more (surprise!), but it would have gone through a bit more strenuous medical evaluation. I don’t know if it would have taken any longer.

So, anybody need a 2/M? :slight_smile:

2

After going through hell off and on for years all because of JM Cornish at (or used to be?) the Houston REC, I have had nothing but good experiences dealing with the NMC. I swear pre NMC, God forbid there was a mistake with anything ( mostly from their side!) you could plan on at least another 3-6 months. I remember Cornish messing shit up, and after having already waited for months, I would try to call…get no answer…no call back… And this could go on for months at a time. One time she refused to acknowledge my proper upgrade…I went back and forth with her on the phone… Ended up faxing her copies of the cfr’s and after no response… Not taking or returning my calls…I finally sent the copies as certified mail. Fast forward a couple of months and my new license randomly appeared in the mail one day. I gues a returned call to tell me it was on the way was too much to ask. So anyways… I have dealt wth the NMC a lot over the past couple of years and they have been courteous, professional, understanding, and great to deal with. I know some people are still having problems, but this has been my experience. I used to dread dealing with anything paperwork related. Now I don’t mind one bit.

3

Has anybody else dealt with NMC in the past 3 months since this original post? I’ll be dumping my papers on them pretty soon and just curious.

4

They were pretty swift with mine just a few weeks ago. And I was kept informed of everything by email.

5

It took the NMC 9 weeks to issue me an approval to test letter for my 500GRT upgrade, they pulled my legend file and ripped apart all of my old sea service letters and made me get one of them rewritten. This same letter was the one I used to upgrade from 100grt to 200grt more than 3 years prior.

I will see how long it takes to issue my MMC once I pass my final test in 2 weeks. I hope the print process goes considerably faster. According to the NMC website, their throughput has slowed compared to prior months the last time I checked.