Does anyone know how easy or hard it is to transfer a foreign license to an American one? And if it is
possible, which countries’ licenses are transferable??
Thanks
That post discussion has occured on this forum already. As I recall, it isn’t possible.
[QUOTE=cajaya;60317]Does anyone know how easy or hard it is to transfer a foreign license to an American one? And if it is
possible, which countries’ licenses are transferable?? Thanks[/QUOTE]
Currently, you cannot “transfer” a foreign license to a U.S. document. In STCW, that is known as an “endorsement” and the U.S. does not endorse foreign documents. Although we have proposed to endorse documents in certain, very limited cases, we have not adopted such a policy at present, and the one that was proposed would only apply to specific vessels in specific countries where by law the vessel is allowed to employ foreign mariners.
The above notwithstanding, you can use the service and training to acquire a foreign document to qualify for an American document. You will need to meet the same requirements as any other mariner applying for an original credential (including U.S. citizenship, or if only applying for an unlicensed rating credemntial, permanent resident alien status). You should be pre3pared to provide complete documentation of all service and training used to acquire your foreign documents.
That post discussion has occured on this forum already
What if you attend a foreign maritime academy and achieve the equivalent of “third officer” upon graduation? I’m asking because you use the word “training” in your post, as in “documentation of all service and training”.
I’ve wondered the same thing before, because of the foreign nationals that attend the state academies here. I think they then have to sit for their own nation’s licensing exam after they graduate. JDCavo, do you know how this all works?
[QUOTE=LI_Domer;116746]I’ve wondered the same thing before, because of the foreign nationals that attend the state academies here. I think they then have to sit for their own nation’s licensing exam after they graduate. JDCavo, do you know how this all works?[/QUOTE]
It works if their homew country will accept the US training and exam. The US doesn’t recognize foreign training, so it doesn’t work for a US mnariner training in another country. Whether or not a country will recognizefor training or endorse (“transfer”) another’s credentials is discretionary. Some countries do, the US doesn’t.
JDCavo, what if you get the equivalent of a third mate via training at a foreign academy, and then work as a third mate on a foreign ship for a year and have the documents to prove it. Does the USCG recognize your work as a third mate in your documentation for the purposes of using that sea time towards a U.S. second mate’s license even though they don’t recognize the schooling that got you the third mate position?
[QUOTE=MariaW;117309]JDCavo, what if you get the equivalent of a third mate via training at a foreign academy, and then work as a third mate on a foreign ship for a year and have the documents to prove it. Does the USCG recognize your work as a third mate in your documentation for the purposes of using that sea time towards a U.S. second mate’s license even though they don’t recognize the schooling that got you the third mate position?[/QUOTE]
The sea time is acceptable. So you could use time as third under a foreign license to get a US second mate. But STCW and the license are different. That foreign training won’t be acceptable fopr US STCW, and since the foreign academy program isn’t USCG approved you’ll still need to show a total of three years of sea time to get a US STCW endorsement as OICNW. Plus all required US training and assessment. So you can get a US second mate license, but without STCW, you probably can’t use it.
JDCavo I believe this is an option for OICNW I found on the STCW.org website: “Have seagoing service of at least one year (360 days) which includes on-board training and is documented in an approved training record book,” Couldn’t the hypothetical year I stated above as a third mate on a foreign vessel apply to this option?
Also, what form does the “three years of sea time” you mentioned have to take? I thought only 6 months of that have to be as a watchstanding officer? Couldn’t the rest be on any kind of boat?
Also, why doesn’t the USCG recognize an STCW certificate from another “white-listed” country? I thought this STCW standard was international?
[QUOTE=MariaW;117497]JDCavo I believe this is an option for OICNW I found on the STCW.org website: “Have seagoing service of at least one year (360 days) which includes on-board training and is documented in an approved training record book,” Couldn’t the hypothetical year I stated above as a third mate on a foreign vessel apply to this option?
Also, what form does the “three years of sea time” you mentioned have to take? I thought only 6 months of that have to be as a watchstanding officer? Couldn’t the rest be on any kind of boat?
Also, why doesn’t the USCG recognize an STCW certificate from another “white-listed” country? I thought this STCW standard was international?[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure whether the web site you looked at only gave a partial excerpt of STCW Regulation II/1, or if you omitted the first part of the paragraph that the approved training record book appears in. In any case, it begins with “have approvedseagoing service of not less than 12 months [U][I]as part of an approved training programme…[/I][/U]” [emphasis added] so the answer to your question on one year as third mate on a foreign vessel is no, for the reasons I have already explained, that time is not part of an approved (by the USCG) training program.
At least 6 months of the OICNW time has to be bridge watchkeeping (it doesn’t have to be as an officer, time as unlicensed, or “rating” in STCW is OK). The remainder doesn’t have to be bridge watchkeeping, but it has to be on a “seagoing” vessel. And, in the US you have to also hold an associated domestic license. So the sea time aslo has to meet the time for the associated license, e.g. time on a vessel under 200 GRT won’t count if the associated US license you’re applying for is 3rd Mate.
The practice of endorsing other countries’ licenses pre-dates STCW 95. Some couintgries, Panama and Liberia among them, have for a very long timer issued one of their licenses to someone holding licenses from other countries. The US has never done that. Also, the STCW was not intended to create a single international certificate valid everywhere. That is why you have to hold a document issued by the flag of the vessel you are on. The STCW includes specifric provisdions allowing countries theoption to accept other countries’ certificate and endorse them, but it doesn’t require that. It gives theach country the discretion to do so, or not to do so. Then US does not.
[QUOTE=jdcavo;117520]I’m not sure whether the web site you looked at only gave a partial excerpt of STCW Regulation II/1, or if you omitted the first part of the paragraph that the approved training record book appears in. In any case, it begins with “have approvedseagoing service of not less than 12 months [U][I]as part of an approved training programme…[/I][/U]” [emphasis added] so the answer to your question on one year as third mate on a foreign vessel is no, for the reasons I have already explained, that time is not part of an approved (by the USCG) training program.
At least 6 months of the OICNW time has to be bridge watchkeeping (it doesn’t have to be as an officer, time as unlicensed, or “rating” in STCW is OK). The remainder doesn’t have to be bridge watchkeeping, but it has to be on a “seagoing” vessel. And, in the US you have to also hold an associated domestic license. So the sea time aslo has to meet the time for the associated license, e.g. time on a vessel under 200 GRT won’t count if the associated US license you’re applying for is 3rd Mate.
The practice of endorsing other countries’ licenses pre-dates STCW 95. Some couintgries, Panama and Liberia among them, have for a very long timer issued one of their licenses to someone holding licenses from other countries. The US has never done that. Also, the STCW was not intended to create a single international certificate valid everywhere. That is why you have to hold a document issued by the flag of the vessel you are on. The STCW includes specifric provisdions allowing countries theoption to accept other countries’ certificate and endorse them, but it doesn’t require that. It gives theach country the discretion to do so, or not to do so. Then US does not.[/QUOTE]
I was told by someone at the REC that as a green card holder I could take the exams and apply for a 100/200 captain license if I swore an affidavit in front of an immigration judge of my intention to become a US citizen when permitted by USCIS.
Is this true and if so any idea where that is written in the regulations? I have a job to go to if I can get the license.
W.