The application process often involves attaching supporting documents. The Attachments page lets you view what has been attached so far, and to make changes to what has been attached.
The behavior of this page is controlled by whether you are an applicant or an administrator, the way that each attachment type is configured by the provider, and what was entered on the application pag.e
Ways to Satisfy Attachment Requirements
There are several ways that a provider's requirement for an attachment can be satisfied:
1) By using the Attachments page to upload a file containing the requested information. Only certain file types are allowed, including PDF files, Microsoft Word files (DOCX), image files (GIF, BMP, JPEG, JPG, TIF, TIFF), sound files (MPA, MP2, MP3), and video files (AVI). Files must be under 10MB in size. When this is done, the Format will show as "Electronic".
2) (If allowed by provider) By providing a paper copy of the attachment directly to the provider without using the web site. If the provider allows this option, you will see language on the Attachments page letting you know this option is available, and you'll see information on the checkout page telling you where to mail the paper copies. When the provider records that they have received a paper copy, the Format will show as "Paper".
3) If the attachment is vessel registration/documentation, we will attempt to verify the registration/documention against our database of active registrations/documentations. If we find the registration/documentation number listed in our database, it is an active registration/documentation, and the last name on the registration/documentation matches the last name on this application, we will attach a link to the existing registration/documentation record, eliminating the need for the applicant to upload a copy of the registration/documentation. When this happens, the Format will show as "Link".
4) If the attachment is not always applicable, we will check to see if the attachment is applicable for this application. For example, some providers provide discounts to local residents, and in those situations the providers often require proof of residency. If the application indicates that the applicant is a non-resident the proof of residency attachment(s) will be Not Applicable. If the attachment is not applicable, the Format will show as "Not Applicable".
5) If the provider issues a waiver. There is no way for an applicant to request a waiver through the web site. Only administrators working for the provider can enter a waiver, if they feel it is appropriate. If the attachment has been waived, the Format will show as "Waived"
Attachment Expiration Dates
Most attachments contain information that expires at some point. For example, vessel registrations are only good for a period of time, and insurance certificates are only good for a period of time.
If the Expiration Date field is shown for an attachment type, you must enter the expiration date associated with the attachment. If you are an applicant, you must enter an expiration date in the future, otherwise the attachment is expired and is not valid for the purposes of the application. If you are an administrator, you can enter any expiration date you'd like.
If you (or someone else) entered an attachment in the past, and the Expiration Date still hasn't passed yet, you will see the attachment that was previously uploaded and you do NOT need to upload the attachment again. But if you would like to upload an updated attachment anyway, simply click the Delete File button, upload the updated attachment, and enter the revised Expiration Date.
How to Use This Page
This page lists all attachment types for the current application type and workflow. The attachment types appear in a grey header bar. You may also see a yellow tag in the header bar indicating if the attachment is Required, or a gray tag if it is Not Applicable. If you move your mouse over the "Not Applicable" tag, you will see a description of why it is not applicable.
For each attachment type, you may see attachments that have been previously uploaded/entered. If you are an applicant, you will only see active attachments (that haven't expired yet). If you are an administrator, you will see all active/inactive attachments, with the most recent attachment at the top and expanded. Older attachments are shown below, at first only showing the expiration date, but you can click the down arrow button on the date bar to see everything about the attachment.
If there are no existing attachments, or you are an Administrator, you will see an 'Add New Attachment' button that you'll need to press so that you can enter/upload information about a new attachment.
Uploading a New Attachment
- Click the 'Add New Attachment' button
- Upload a file using the 'Browse...' button next to the filename. You will see a progress bar during upload and then the name of the file will appear when it is complete.
- Fill out the expiration date if visible and it's not already filled out.
- There is no need to 'Save', as you make changes they are saved automatically.
Submitting/Receiving a Paper Copy
If you are an applicant, do NOT click the "Add New Attachment" button. Instead, just click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. The following page will give you instructions about how to send the paper copies to the provider.
If you are an administrator and you receive a paper copy of an attachment, you have two options:
1) Scan/photograph the attachment, and attach it using the instructions above for Uploading a New Attachment.
2) Record that you received a paper copy as follows:
- First, review the paper copy to verify that it is acceptable to you. If not, let the applicant know, and there's nothing to do in Online Mooring.
- If the paper attachment is acceptable, go into the Attachments page, then go to the part of the page that lists the attachment type you received, and:
a) Click the "Add New Attachment" button
b) Check the "Paper Copy Received" box
c) If there is a field to enter the Expiration Date, you must enter a date.
Handling Not Applicable Attachments
If we think that an attachment type is not applicable, we will display "Not Applicable", and there is nothing more to do.
If you feel that an attachment type is not applicable, but the web site thinks it is applicable (or vice versa), you can report that to your provider's administrator. If you are an administrator, you can report that to Online Mooring support.
Handling Waivers
If you are an applicant, there is nothing you can do to issue a waiver on an attachment.
If you are an administrator, and you wish to issue a waiver on an attachment, you can do the following:
a) Click the "Add New Attachment" button
b) Check the "Not Applicable" box (will be renamed to "Waived"
c) If there is a field to enter the Expiration Date, you must enter a date. The waiver will be in effect until that date.
Reviewing Electronic Attachments
If you are an administrator, you can/should review uploaded attachments, because there is no guarantee that they are readable, that they contain the information you have requested, and that they are expire on the date entered into the expiration field.
Once an attachment has been uploaded to Online Mooring, a "Review" button appears. If you click that, you'll see the attachment, along with an Approve and Reject button. If you Approve the attachment, you'll see a very visible "Approved" tag on the attachment, so that you know you don't have to review it again. If you Reject the attachment, you'll see a very visible "Rejected" tag on the attachment.
Rejecting an attachment has some useful side effects. When calculating the attachment status of an application, we ignore rejected attachments, so rejecting an attachment may change the color of the Attachment icon from Green to Red. If you have automated tasks set up to automatically notify applicants when attachment status changes, we can automatically send out an e-mail notifying the applicant that they need to try again.