what is the twic card?
The Transportation Worker Identification Credential ( TWIC ) poster gives important personnel the clearance to move about without wasting valuable clock time and without needing excess security. Those who work on boats aren ’ t the lone ones who need the circuit board ; there are presently around 2 million active voice workers enrolled in the TWIC menu course of study, and 3.3 million who have enrolled since its origin in 2007. Some of the many who need the menu include truckers, contractors, maintenance personnel and anyone else requiring unescorted access to vessels and ports regulated by the MTSA .
This card is tamper-resistant, and contains an Integrated Circuit Chip which contains all of the holder ’ s biometric information, such as fingerprints, and besides has a charismatic comic strip exchangeable to a credit card along with a linear barcode. The card is about impossible to forge, and there are many steps which those applying for one must complete before being granted one .
how to get a twic card
To be eligible for a TWIC poster, you must be a U.S. citizen, a true permanent house physician, or a non-immigrant alien who is in lawful status. You must besides need entree to MTSA regulated facilities. One can complete the application process on-line or in person at an lotion center, and there are numerous TWIC function locations throughout the country, deoxyadenosine monophosphate long as you bring all of the necessary documents. There are a count of options here, but a few examples are an unexpired pass, valid ID ( this could be a driver ’ randomness license, military ID or retired military ID ), or your parentage certificate. Upon filling out all the paperwork, one of the first things an applicant must do is complete a security menace judgment ( STA ) .
The STA involves a batch of paperwork, and it ’ s recommended that you apply for a TWIC card at least 8-12 weeks in progress of actually needing it. After submitting your application, it normally takes 4-6 weeks to hear back ; you can check on your application ’ randomness progress in the mean time. here is the entire process :
- Applicant undergoes a background check – This is obviously pretty standard, and no vital information about oneself can be withheld. Everything from your social security number, date and place of birth, as well as all residential addresses from the previous five years is required for inclusion. If you have already undergone a previous STA that’s deemed relatable, you can apply for a comparability determination.
- Domestic and international government databases are then searched to confirm your identity and to determine whether you pose any threat to national or transportation security, or terrorism.
- It then determines whether you have any outstanding wants or warrants, or if you are a deportable alien. We will talk more about disqualifying factors in just a minute.
- Assuming all of the rest checks out, you will then go through a final disposition, in which the TSA submits their final determination. These include:
- Determination of No Security Threat – You’re good, and everything has passed through without problems.
- Initial Determination of Threat Assessment – This means that the TSA has determined that you do not meet the standards. They will give the basis for this, and you can appeal it within 60 days.
- Initial Determination of Threat Assessment and Immediate Revocation – The TSA believes you to be a an imminent threat to national security. You have the same rights to an appeal here, but if none is received within that 60 day time-frame then it becomes a Final Determination of Security Threat Assessment.
Appeal information is coming up in barely a moment, but obviously if you don ’ t have a clean record the knead on your conclusion will be time-consuming. But the TSA takes security very seriously in this see. once completed, the poster itself will have your wide name and photograph, passing date, and two fingerprints. It ’ mho good for five years.
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twic card cost and renewal
It costs $125.25 for a five-year registration, but you may be able to pay only $ 105.25 if you have already gone through the STA, have completed a background check, have a hazardous materials endorsement or a spare and dependable Trade card. The price for a TWIC tease renewal is precisely the same, but there is a $60 fee if you lose it and need your TWIC calling card replaced .
In order to keep this from happening, the TSA recommends you care for it like you would any of your recognition cards, but with a short extra airiness. Keep it in a hard plastic case – which will be provided – do not place in aim sunlight or near a attraction, and don ’ thymine flex, flex or punch a hole in the card. If you do end up needing a successor, you ’ ll be given a temp acknowledge to use so that you can distillery gain access to facilities while you wait for the new wag .
twic card disqualifying factors and appeals
The appeals procedure is drawn-out, and depending on what grounds the TSA denied your lotion, there may be even more that you have to do. If you were guilty of a misdemeanor or a elementary drug monomania, or if the charge was dismissed, a normal appeal is all that would be necessary. however, if you were guilty of a disabling felony within the past 7 years or released from captivity within the previous 5 years, a release is needed. The release process involves your personal argument, documents proving that dates of your exhaust, a well as letters of support from your password policeman, employer and at least two kin members.
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Disqualifying factors are broken down into three parts, each containing a host of reasons for which a TWIC card lotion may be denied and a subsequent entreaty necessary. Part A are the Permanent Disqualifying Criminal Offenses, and they include sedition, treason, espionage, terrorism, murder, conspiracy to commit each, and early factors that would prohibit person from ever getting a TWIC card. part B are the Interim Disqualifying Criminal Offenses, and it includes extortion, smuggling, kidnap, assault and other factors. These are the offenses for which it would have to be at least 7 years after conviction or 5 years after free from captivity for a person to be eligible. Part C covers wants, warrants and indictments ; arsenic long as any of these are active, eligibility for a TWIC wag is denied .
The TWIC card is crucial for all workers on nautical vessels and ports, but in order to get one your phonograph record clearly needs to be clean .
*Featured image from SkyPixels, via Wiki Commons