Lodging a Subclass 988 application: online vs paper Form 1273 and who can help in 2026

According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Maritime Crew visa (Subclass 988) page as at August 2026, you lodge this visa either online through ImmiAccount or, if you cannot apply online, on paper using Form 1273 Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa. You must be outside Australia when you apply, although the decision can be made while you are inside or outside the country. Which route you use then determines how you appoint help: Form 956A covers an authorised recipient for correspondence, and Form 956 covers a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person who gives immigration assistance.

Do you have to be outside Australia to lodge?

Yes. The Department's page states that you must be outside Australia at the time you apply, and that you can be inside or outside Australia when the visa is decided.

The same page sets out what the visa is built around: being a crew member, or holding a current offer to be a crew member, on a Maritime Crew visa eligible ship on an international voyage to Australia. You must also comply with Australia's health and quarantine requirements, and you must not be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent Australian visa.

Because the visa is tied to a ship, the eligibility of that ship matters before any form is filled in.

Which ships count as Maritime Crew visa eligible ships?

A ship is eligible if it:

transports commercial cargo between Australia and international ports
carries paying passengers
is owned and operated by a foreign government to do scientific research
has been approved for 'Public Vessel Status' by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
has been imported or entered for home consumption under specific sections of Australia's Customs Act 1901 and is registered on the Australian International Shipping Register.

The page lists ships that are not eligible for Maritime Crew visa holders to enter Australia on: small marine craft, private yachts or superyachts; petroleum export tankers that go to both an offshore resource platform and an Australian port on the same international journey; fishing vessels and trawlers operating in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone; and research vessels that are not owned and operated by a foreign government.

Should you apply online in ImmiAccount or on paper with Form 1273?

Online is the default path, and paper is presented as the fallback for applicants who cannot apply online. The practical difference is where documents go and how you receive messages.

	Online	Paper
Form	Application started in ImmiAccount	Form 1273 Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa
Documents	Attached in ImmiAccount	Sent with the completed form
Lodgement	Submitted in ImmiAccount	Sent by post or courier to the address specified on the form, marked 'Attention: Maritime Global Processing Centre'
Follow-up	Check ImmiAccount for requests for more information	Wait to be contacted
Appointing help	Upload Form 956A or Form 956 to ImmiAccount	Send the forms with the paper application
Correcting an answer	Attach Form 1023 in ImmiAccount	Send to the office where the application was submitted

What does the online path involve?

The Department's steps are short and sequential:

Apply in ImmiAccount.
Attach documents.
Submit family applications together.

You must complete an application for each person travelling to Australia, including children, because each person holds their own visa. If you applied online, you check ImmiAccount to see whether more information is needed, and the Department messages you through ImmiAccount when it does.

What does the paper path involve?

If you cannot apply online, complete Form 1273 and send the completed form by post or courier to the address specified on the form, marking the envelope 'Attention: Maritime Global Processing Centre'.

The trade-off is visibility. The Department states it cannot give updates within the standard processing time; paper applicants wait to be contacted, while online applicants can check ImmiAccount. Paper applicants also send appointment or withdrawal forms to the office where they submitted the application rather than uploading them.

Who can lawfully help you with a Subclass 988 application?

This is the part that is regulated, and it turns on what the person does for you.

If someone gives you immigration assistance, the Department states they must be one of the following:

a registered migration agent
a legal practitioner, or
an exempt person.

That restriction applies to paid help in particular: the visa page tells applicants that before they pay someone, they should read the Department's information on who can help with a visa application. Anyone at all, however, can be appointed to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter — that role carries no professional qualification requirement.

This article describes the published process only and is general information rather than advice tailored to your circumstances; your own position should be checked against the Department's current page or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

Which form do you use: 956A or 956?

The two forms do different jobs, and using the wrong one leaves the appointment ineffective.

Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient — use it to nominate someone to receive your correspondence.
Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person — use it to nominate someone to provide immigration assistance.

If you applied online, upload the form or your written notification to ImmiAccount. If you applied on paper, send it with your paper application. The same forms are used later to withdraw someone: Form 956A if you no longer want them to receive correspondence, Form 956 if you no longer want them to provide immigration advice.

What documents does the Department ask for?

You can check ImmiAccount for what is required before you submit, and the Department warns that not providing identity, employment and education or qualification documents at the time of application may delay the decision.

Identity. Colour copies of the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates; a copy of your National Identity Card (both sides) if you have one; and proof of change of name if you have had one. A seafarer's identity document is not acceptable, with the exception of Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese seafarer passports; if you hold both a seafarer's passport and a national passport, apply using your national passport.

Character. Police certificates if and when the Department tells you to get them, plus military service record or discharge papers if applicable.

Employment. Documentary proof that you are employed, or will be employed, on a non-military ship that will be in Australia, plus a statement from the vessel's local shipping or handling agent. That statement must state your name, the name of the company employing you, the name of the ship you will join, the date you arrive in Australia, and the port and date you expect to join the ship.

Education or qualification. Evidence of your highest recognised qualification relating to your employment as a crew member, such as a Degree or Diploma certificate.

Family members have their own sets. A partner provides identity and character documents, documents about other relationships if applicable, and either a current marriage certificate or enough documents to prove a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply. A dependent under 18 needs identity documents, proof of relationship such as a birth or marriage certificate, adoption papers if applicable, and character documents if applicable. A child 18 or over can only be included if they are over 18 but not yet 23 and dependent on you or your partner, or if they are over 23, dependent on you or your partner, and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations; you must also provide a completed Form 47a and proof of financial dependency, and if the child is 23 or likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, a report from a qualified medical practitioner stating they are dependent on you or your partner due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions.

What happens after you lodge?

The Department lets you know when it has received the application and gives its decision in writing. A grant notification sets out your visa grant number, the date your visa starts, and your visa conditions; a refusal notification tells you why and whether you have a right to review. Keep a copy of the decision.

Two obligations continue after lodgement. If you find a mistake, notify the Department as soon as you can using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. And if things change — phone number, address or passport, marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, or a wish to withdraw — you need to tell the Department.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for a Subclass 988 visa while I am in Australia?

No. The Department's page states you cannot apply for a Maritime Crew visa while you are in Australia, and you must be outside Australia when you apply. If you are already in Australia and your plans change, the published guidance is to apply for another visa before your current visa expires.

Is there a separate application for each crew member?

Yes. You must complete an application for each person travelling to Australia, including children, and each person holds their own visa. The Department's instruction for online applicants is to submit family applications together.

Can a friend or relative fill in the form for me?

Only if they fall into one of the permitted categories. Anyone who gives immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. A separate, less restricted role exists: you can appoint anyone at all to receive documents on your behalf.

What is the difference between Form 956 and Form 956A?

Form 956 appoints a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to provide immigration assistance. Form 956A appoints, or withdraws, an authorised recipient who receives your correspondence. Both are also the forms used to end those arrangements.

Can I fly to Australia on a Maritime Crew visa?

No. The visa requires you to arrive and depart by sea as a crew member of an eligible ship; if you want to fly, you need another valid visa, such as a Transit visa (subclass 771). The same applies if you already hold a Maritime Crew visa and want to fly in to join a ship.

What if I already hold a Maritime Crew visa that is still valid?

The Department advises against applying for another one unless it will expire before you enter Australia or during your voyage as crew of a non-military ship. You can hold a Maritime Crew visa at the same time as another visa, and the Maritime Crew visa is the one in effect while you are signed on to a non-military ship.

How long can I stay after signing off my ship?

You have five days, or a period specified by the Department of Home Affairs, to join another eligible ship or leave Australia. If you sign off in Australia without another visa, you have five days to depart or apply for another visa, or your Maritime Crew visa will cease.