The Administrator shall apply the following criteria for certifying that an individual merchant seaman is entitled to reemployment rights and other benefits substantially equivalent to the rights and benefits provided by chapter 43 of title 38, United States Code, for any member of a Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States who is ordered to active duty. It shall be the responsibility of each applicant for certification to submit relevant documentation to MARAD, Office of Maritime Labor, Training, and Safety, MAR-250, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Room 7302, Washington, D.C. 20590, establishing that—

(a) Employment as merchant seaman. The applicant was employed after October 8, 1996, in the activation or operation of a vessel—

(1) in the National Defense Reserve Fleet maintained by MARAD under authority of section 11 of the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946 (50 U.S.C. App. 1744) in a period in which that vessel was in use or being activated for use under 50 U.S.C. App. 1744(b);

(2) that is requisitioned under section 902 of the Act (46 App. U.S.C. 1242); or

(3) that is owned, chartered, or controlled by the United States and used by the United States for a war, armed conflict, national emergency, or maritime mobilization need (including for training purposes or testing for readiness and suitability for mission performance).

(b) Seaman credentials. During the period of employment described in paragraph (a) of this section, the seaman possessed a valid license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner's document issued under chapter 73 (as applicable) of title 46, United States Code, as required by 46 App. U.S.C. 1132(c).

(c) Additional information. If applicable, periods of hospitalization, convalescence, illness, injury, shipwreck or detention beyond the mariner's control were incurred in, or aggravated during, the performance of employment described in §349.3(a).