Recruitment safeguards

Opportunity without exploitation.

The boundary between MSA's candidate-support work and regulated seafarer recruitment or placement.

Operational policy · Effective 22 August 2026

Regulated-activity boundary

Describing MSA as a consultant does not override a law that classifies an activity as seafarer recruitment or placement. Until the responsible operator confirms the required licence, certification, insurance, monitoring, and complaint system for its jurisdiction, MSA must limit its role to general information, candidate readiness, and client-controlled introductions that are lawful there.

1. Candidate-readiness services

MSA may help a client organise a CV, identify typical document requirements, record preferences, prepare for an interview, locate published opportunities, and maintain an internal matching profile. These activities do not create an employment relationship and do not guarantee that a candidate will be shortlisted, selected, medically accepted, issued a visa, or placed aboard a vessel.

2. Regulated recruitment or placement

Where MSA recruits or places seafarers for shipboard work, or performs activity that a competent authority treats as recruitment or placement, that activity must operate only under the licensing, certification, monitoring, insurance, recordkeeping, and complaint arrangements required by the applicable national implementation of maritime labour law. MSA must pause the activity if its status is uncertain and obtain a determination or professional advice.

3. No seafarer-paid placement fee

MSA will not charge a seafarer, directly or indirectly, for recruitment, placement, or providing employment where prohibited by applicable law. Under the Maritime Labour Convention framework, permitted personal costs may be narrowly limited, while visa costs are generally allocated to the shipowner. A separate, genuine CV or readiness consultancy must not be used to disguise a prohibited placement fee or made a condition of access to a vacancy.

4. No job guarantee or vacancy sale

MSA does not sell jobs, ranks, sea time, vessel slots, contracts, or preferential shortlists. No person may request money for a guaranteed job through an MSA group or account. A payment request linked to a vacancy must be reported and investigated before a candidate proceeds.

5. Opportunity checks

Before presenting an opportunity as verified, MSA should identify the employer, shipowner or authorised recruiter; confirm contact channels; check the role, vessel or programme; identify any licence or MLC evidence reasonably available; record the source and check date; screen for prohibited fees and deceptive terms; and preserve the evidence supporting publication.

6. Candidate qualification

MSA may perform an administrative readiness review, but the employer, shipowner, issuing administration, medical examiner, and other competent recipients determine qualification and acceptance. A candidate must not be presented as holding a certificate, sea service, medical fitness, or right to work that has not been supported by appropriate evidence.

7. Employment agreement safeguards

A seafarer must have a meaningful opportunity to examine the seafarers' employment agreement before signing, obtain advice if desired, understand rights and duties, and retain a copy. MSA must not pressure a candidate to sign an incomplete contract, surrender identity documents, waive mandatory rights, or travel without appropriate joining instructions and verified contacts.

8. Profile sharing

Registering interest authorises internal matching only. Before sending a profile or document to an employer, recruiter, school, or partner, MSA must obtain a separate, recorded sharing decision for the specified opportunity or recipient category. The candidate may decline without being blacklisted or unfairly excluded from unrelated opportunities.

9. Equality and prohibited practices

MSA prohibits unlawful discrimination, trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, retention of passports, intimidation, retaliation for a complaint, misleading wage deductions, and exclusion lists intended to prevent qualified seafarers from obtaining employment. Genuine occupational, visa, medical, flag-State, or vessel requirements must be accurately described and applied lawfully.

10. Third-party responsibility

An employer, shipowner, authorised recruitment service, or training provider remains responsible for its representations, selection, contract, welfare, safety, wages, travel, repatriation, and regulatory duties. MSA will not disclaim its own conduct where it has assumed or is legally assigned a recruitment duty.

11. Complaints and monetary loss

Recruitment complaints receive priority review. MSA must record the allegation, protect against retaliation, preserve evidence, respond, and direct unresolved regulated matters to the competent authority where appropriate. Before regulated placement begins, MSA must determine whether insurance or an equivalent system of protection is required for monetary loss caused by failure of the recruitment service or relevant shipowner.

12. Official reference point

The ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, Regulation and Standard A1.4 set international requirements concerning access to accountable recruitment and placement, licensing or other regulation of private services, prohibited seafarer-paid placement fees, employment-agreement safeguards, complaints, records, and systems of protection. National law implementing those standards must be checked for every operating jurisdiction.

Questions or rights requests

Contact MSA through the protected enquiry route.

Use the contact form for legal, privacy, cancellation, or complaint matters. Do not include passport numbers, medical information, or document copies in the public form.

Contact the agency