The U.S. Coast Guard’s new digital mariner credentialing platform, Navita, goes live at 8 a.m. Eastern on September 14, becoming the primary system for submitting Merchant Mariner Credential and medical certificate applications. The launch discontinues the existing ASAP portal and centralizes correspondence through Navita’s case-management function. The rollout continues the National Maritime Center’s recovery from a severe backlog stemming from the 2026 federal funding lapse, which had pushed processing estimates to 8-12 months before falling to roughly four months by July. Applications remain processed first-in, first-out.