Seafarer recruitment and placement service

A seafarer recruitment and placement service (SRPS) is any private service whose main purpose is recruiting seafarers or placing them with shipowners, regulated under MLC 2006 Regulation 1.4 and Standard A1.4. Each SRPS in a ratifying state must be licensed or certified, keep an up-to-date register of seafarers, verify that seafarers are qualified and hold the documents for the job, charge the seafarer no recruitment or placement fee (other than the statutory medical, seafarer’s book, and passport), and maintain financial-protection insurance compensating a seafarer for monetary loss if the agency or shipowner fails to meet its obligations. Shipowners using services in non-ratifying states must verify those services meet the same standard, a point port state control checks.