The Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988) is a temporary visa for foreign nationals who are crew members on an eligible maritime crew visa ship making an international voyage that calls at Australian ports. The visa allows crew to enter Australia when the ship enters Australian waters and to go ashore during the ship's stay in port. It also applies to the partner and dependent children of crew members who are on the same vessel. The subclass 988 is distinctive in several ways: entry must be by sea (not air); the visa is tied to the ship's voyage rather than to a fixed employment period; and the holder has no general work rights in Australia — work is authorised only on the vessel. The visa framework accounts for the practical reality of maritime employment, where crew may be in Australian ports for short periods during international voyages. DHA also provides specific guidance for the offshore petroleum industry, where vessels operate in Australian territorial and offshore waters in ways that engage particular considerations around the international voyage requirement. This page explains the eligibility criteria, the vessel and voyage requirements, and the conditions attached to the 988.

For current eligibility criteria and application details, refer to the DHA Maritime Crew visa page.

• Migration Act 1958 — the framework under which the Maritime Crew visa operates; persons on maritime crew visas are lawful non-citizens in Australia while the visa is in force
• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, Subclass 988 — the criteria for the Maritime Crew visa, including the requirement that the applicant is a crew member on an eligible maritime crew visa ship undertaking an international voyage that calls at an Australian port
• Migration Act 1958, s 5(1) — definition of migration zone: Australia's territory including internal waters and territorial sea; crew on vessels in Australian territorial waters and ports are in the migration zone when they enter Australian waters
• DHA: Managing people in Australia's offshore oil and gas industry — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/offshore-oil-gas
• DHA: Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/maritime-crew-988

Eligible ships and international voyages

The Maritime Crew visa applies to crew members on eligible maritime crew visa ships. Not every vessel qualifies — the concept of an "eligible ship" is defined by reference to the type of vessel and its operations. Key points:

• An eligible ship is a vessel engaged in international voyages — voyages that include ports in countries other than Australia; a vessel that operates only between Australian ports is not eligible
• Commercial shipping vessels (container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, cruise ships) that call at Australian ports as part of an international voyage are typical examples of eligible ships
• The vessel must call at one or more Australian ports as part of a voyage that also includes at least one non-Australian port
• For offshore petroleum industry vessels: the international voyage concept applies differently — a tanker that takes product from an offshore Australian installation directly to an overseas port may be eligible; DHA's offshore petroleum industry guidance provides detailed analysis of these cases

Who is eligible for a subclass 988

The following persons are eligible for a Maritime Crew visa:

• Crew members: foreign nationals employed as crew on an eligible ship — "crew" includes the ship's master, officers, engineers, ratings, and other persons employed to work on the vessel in connection with its voyage
• Partners and dependent children: the partner (including de facto partner) and dependent children of a crew member may also be granted a Maritime Crew visa if they are travelling on the same eligible ship

Persons who are not crew members and are not family of a crew member cannot hold a subclass 988 — they require a visitor, work, or other visa as appropriate.

Entry by sea — not by air

A fundamental feature of the Maritime Crew visa is that entry must be by sea on the eligible ship. A Maritime Crew visa holder:

• Must arrive in Australia on the eligible ship — they cannot use the 988 to enter Australia by air (for example, flying to Australia to join their ship)
• If a crew member needs to travel to Australia by air to join their vessel, they require a separate visa for the air travel — typically a subclass 400 Short Stay Specialist visa, a subclass 600 visitor visa, or another work-related visa depending on their activities before joining the ship
• Once in Australia on the 988, the holder may go ashore as shore leave in connection with the vessel's stay in port

Visa tied to the ship's voyage

The Maritime Crew visa is tied to the ship and its voyage in Australian waters — it is not an independent temporary visa that allows the holder to remain in Australia independently of the vessel:

• When the eligible ship departs Australian waters, the crew member is expected to leave with the vessel — remaining in Australia after the ship's departure without another valid visa means the person becomes unlawful
• Shore leave while in port is permitted — crew members may go ashore, stay in hotels, and move around the port area; however, this is incidental to the ship's stay, not independent temporary residence
• The period of the visa is determined by the duration of the ship's stay in Australian waters — it is not granted for a fixed period that outlasts the voyage

Work rights — limited to the vessel

The subclass 988 does not grant general work rights in Australia. The authorised work is limited to working on the eligible ship:

• Crew members may perform their duties on board the vessel during the vessel's stay in Australian waters
• Working for an Australian employer on shore — or taking up any employment in Australia unrelated to the vessel — is not permitted on the Maritime Crew visa
• Maintenance, repairs, or operational activities in connection with the vessel while it is in port (including work done by crew at the wharf in connection with cargo, vessel maintenance, or provisioning) may be authorised — but this is limited to activities directly related to the vessel's voyage

Offshore oil and gas — specific considerations

The offshore petroleum industry in Australia involves vessels that operate in Australian offshore waters in ways that engage specific considerations for the Maritime Crew visa. DHA provides detailed guidance for offshore petroleum employers. Key points for the petroleum industry context:

• A petroleum export tanker that departs an overseas port, collects product from an offshore Australian installation, and proceeds directly to an overseas port (without calling at an Australian land port) may fall within the Maritime Crew visa framework for its crew
• Vessels servicing offshore installations (supply vessels, anchor handlers, crane vessels) that operate between Australian ports and offshore installations may have different visa requirements depending on whether the international voyage requirement is met
• Employers in the offshore petroleum industry should consult the DHA offshore oil and gas guidance and the Maritime Crew visa page for current visa requirements

Application and how the visa works in practice

Applications for the Maritime Crew visa can be made online through ImmiAccount or by submitting Form 1273 (Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa). In practice:

• Applications may be lodged by the shipping company, ship's agent, or the crew member — shipping companies commonly manage crew visa applications for all crew on a voyage
• The visa is generally granted for the duration of the ship's voyage in Australian waters
• For processing times and application charges, refer to the DHA Maritime Crew visa page — fees and processing times are subject to change

The Maritime Crew visa is one of the more specialised temporary visa subclasses in the Australian immigration framework — it applies specifically to maritime employment and is designed around the realities of international commercial shipping, where crew move between countries on the same voyage. The main practical complexity is the entry-by-air issue: crew members who need to travel to Australia by air to join a vessel (a common situation in crew change operations, particularly when crew are flown from their home country to an Australian port to board their ship) require a different visa for the flight leg. Shipping companies and maritime employers need to plan crew change operations carefully to ensure all visa requirements are met — both the initial entry visa (if flying in) and the Maritime Crew visa for work on the vessel once in Australian waters. The offshore petroleum context adds further complexity due to the nature of offshore operations and the interaction with Australian offshore jurisdiction. For current eligibility criteria, the eligible ship definition, and application procedures, refer to the DHA Maritime Crew visa page.