To get back to getting US credentials. I worked with some Polish guys who had Polish 1st (2nd engineer British) engineer licenses but the USCG made them start as QMEDs. They were good engineers and did not deserve to be treated like that. Is it fair, no?
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;159067]To get back to getting US credentials. I worked with some Polish guys who had Polish 1st (2nd engineer British) engineer licenses but the USCG made them start as QMEDs. They were good engineers and did not deserve to be treated like that. Is it fair, no?[/QUOTE]
The USCG made them sail as QMEDs because they were not yet citizens…you must be a US citizen to hold a USCG officer’s license. I hold firm to this requirement and hope it never changes. If someone from a foreign nation wants a US license then they need to jump through the hoops to earn their citizenship lest every boob around the globe gets a US CoC then floods the market with even more competition we don’t need for the available jobs on US flagged vessels.
A few years ago there was a long thread about this very subject. Read it here
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;159067]To get back to getting US credentials. I worked with some Polish guys who had Polish 1st (2nd engineer British) engineer licenses but the USCG made them start as QMEDs. They were good engineers and did not deserve to be treated like that. Is it fair, no?[/QUOTE]
Most likely, they weren’t U.S. citizens and by law cannot hold a license (resident aliens can hold rating endorsements). Or. it is a case of not having recent sea service, they would need 90 days to have been in the last 3 years. If they let their foreign endorsements lapse, or do not want to sail foreign flag, the only way for them to get recent service is as an unlicensed rating that does not have a recency requirement. Or maybe they couldn’t pass the license exam.
I’m an American and yes, many of us folks recognize that other countries have territories and apply their standards outside their national borders.
I was in St Croix one time when some smart mouth captain from England was dissing the USA. A big Texan picked the weasel up and bounced his Nancy boy ass off the wall.
Well, aren’t you special.
We steam clams up my way.
Steamer