You want to address the issue by providing what ever additional information they need to continue processing your USCG license application.
Submitting your Awaiting Information Letter to the USCG
No worries. If you get an Awaiting Information Letter from the USCG it's not a big deal. It just means there are more steps you need to complete and your USCG license application is going to take longer than expected.
If you are using mmseas.com and submitted your application with MM-SEAS our team takes care of all of this behind the scenes for you.
If you're not using mmseas.com here are the steps you need to complete:
- Create a cover memo that has: Your Reference number, Your Application ID number and an explanation of what you are submitting in response to the Awaiting Information Letter
- Take a picture/ scan the Awaiting Information Letter that was sent to you
- Save the Cover Memo you created, the Awaiting Information letter and all of your documents as one big pdf (Not bigger than 35MB)
- Name that file: Your name, Your Reference number, Your Application ID number and what you are submitting in response to the Awaiting Information Letter
- Upload the pdf to your application in Navita, the Coast Guard's new submission portal. Email to the Coast Guard is no longer accepted, so every response goes through Navita.
Rather not do it alone? With a Stress-Free MMC, our team handles your Awaiting Information Letter for you.
What to expect from the USCG after submitting your Awaiting Information Letter response to the USCG
You will receive a response from the USCG within 10 days. It typically comes around a week after submission.
Common reasons for issues when submitting your Awaiting Information Letter response to the USCG
- If it's not submitted as a PDF they will reject it
- If the file size is larger than 35MB it may not upload, and the National Maritime Center will never receive it.
- If you don't include Your name, Your Reference number, Your Application ID number and what you are submitting in response to the Awaiting Information Letter the USCG will not be able to link your response to your application
We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!
MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Expert Access inside of the site.
No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application you can do it yourself, or you can hand the whole thing to us. An MM-SEAS Navita Navigator walks you through submitting in Navita, the Coast Guard's new submission portal, on a short video call. No computer, or not up for a video call? Our team gets your application submitted to the Coast Guard for you anyway. A Stress-Free MMC is $399. Two MM-SEAS licensing experts check every page, we pay your Coast Guard fees at submission and charge your card so you never touch pay.gov, and we stay on it with the National Maritime Center until your credential is issued.
MM-SEAS Expert Access is $99 a year. It is your personal guidance counselor for USCG licensing: what training you need next, which sea time counts, and how to reach the credential you want, by phone, email, chat or a 1 on 1 video call. Expert Access members also get $50 off a Stress-Free MMC.
Need to renew, upgrade or get your first USCG license? We're here to help.
About the author
Nate Gilman is President and Co-Founder of MM-SEAS. He hawsepiped from the deck to a 3rd Mate Unlimited license with full STCW compliance over more than 15 years at sea, and is a veteran of the NOAA Commissioned Corps. He works directly with the National Maritime Center, USCG-approved training schools, and vessel operators on credentialing policy, and writes on sea service documentation, evaluation standards, and how mariners move up the license ladder.
