CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS
APPLIES TO:
ALL DOCUMENTED COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS, FISH
PROCESSING, OR TENDER VESSELS ENGAGED IN THE FISHERIES
IN THE NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE
EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE.
(Exemption: This does NOT apply to a fishing vessel
fishing exclusively for highly migratory species
(Section 3 of U.S.C. 1802).
_________________________________________________________________________
REQUIREMENTS:
-Only a citizen of the United States may serve as master, chief
engineer*, radio officer*, or officer* in charge of a deck watch or
engineering watch on a documented vessel.
*Only when a license is required.
-Each unlicensed seaman must be:
a) a citizen of the United States;
b) an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent
residence
c) any other alien admitted to be employed under the Immigration
and Naturalization Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq) not to exceed 25
percent of the unlicensed seaman total.
_________________________________________________________________________
STANDARD:
_________________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTORS NOTES:
-Proof of Citizenship is beyond the scope of this guide.
Refer
questions to the INS.
-If a non-citizen serves as the master, the documentation of the
vessel is invalidated.
-If a non-citizen serves as the Chief engineer, R/O, or Deck/Engr
Watch Officer (when required), it is considered a violation.
-There are exemptions and if there are any questions regarding
citizenship contact a higher authority or INS directly.
-The term citizen of the U.S. includes an alien lawfully admitted to
the U.S. for permanent residence for fishing vessels operating off
the coast of California. This is primarily an exemption for
Vietnamese vessels.
_________________________________________________________________________
REFERENCES: 46 USC 8103
II - 33
Previous Page
