USA Visa options

[bolty_1000]

Can anyone help?

I am travelling out to the states from the UK in April to do a bit of hour building. Will be there for about 4-6 weeks and will not be doing any training.

Can anyone enlighten me on whether I need a Visa to do this and if so what sort?

I understand that the tourist visa is a B2 but has anyone else tried the Visa Waiver option? If so how does this work? Am I going to have to que up at the Embassy in London for hours on end to get it sorted?

Have tried the the Embassy hotline at £1.90 a minute but they were about as helpful as a kick in the ****!!

Thanks in advance

[mcgoo]

you don't need a visa for hour building only flight training.

[too_sleepy]

Hi
You do need an FAA Pilot Certificate to fly in the US. All details you need are here. I got mine sorted in 2 weeks.
http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=175&pagetype=87&groupid=612

[bolty_1000]

Excellent....cheers for the great responses!!
Just to clarify. I have now sorted the whole of the licence verification process and its literally just wait for the licence and book a flight...no visits or forms at the us embassy?
Cheers

[Flyin'Dutch']

Correct.

Have a read on the US Embassy FAQs to ensure you fall into the category of folks that can enter on a Visa waiver.

If you can do that you can go and do the flying. As said before only if you do training towards a license or rating do you need a Visa interview and all that.

[QTS]

In fact it's only training for a PPL, multi-engine rating or instrument rating that requires a visa. See http://www.aopa.org/tsa_rule/index, and the definition of flight training in http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf91/310342_web.pdf.

[strafer]

But try explaining to the minimum wage gorilla in Immigration the difference between an IMCR and an IR. A point made often by FFF, is that no matter what the rules are, your entry into the country is entirely dependant on the MWG. If he got out of bed the wrong side that morning, you have no recourse or right of appeal.

Personally I would get a visa for all training. Because the decison to admit you has been made by the embassy and not the immigration department, they can't be held accountable should you be a problem child. Which means they're more likely to let you in.

[Keygrip]

Strafer - understand exactly what you are saying, and I agree 100% - but it's still up to the MWG as to whether you get into the country or not.

Even with my green card - indeed, anything short of citizenship - the MWG can tell you to Foxtrot Oscar.

[strafer]

Fair enough Keygrip - That was the situation as I understood it, but I will bow to your greater experience.

[fly_sd]

In fact it's only training for a PPL, multi-engine rating or instrument rating that requires a visa. See http://www.aopa.org/tsa_rule/index, and the definition of flight training in http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf91/310342_web.pdf.

I believe that the TSA security check is not related to a visa - the two are separate. For example I now hold a Green Card although I initially came here on an H1-B (work) visa so I reside here full time. I still had to go through the TSA security check. As pointed out there are 3 rating for which you need the TSA clearance. I suspect you would still need a visa to follow other courses (I doubt you can do it on a the WB/WT program) but would not need clearance from the TSA.

No idea about hour building - probably the best thing is to double check with some flight schools and see what they say.

[fly_sd]

But try explaining to the minimum wage gorilla in Immigration the difference between an IMCR and an IR. A point made often by FFF, is that no matter what the rules are, your entry into the country is entirely dependant on the MWG. If he got out of bed the wrong side that morning, you have no recourse or right of appeal.


Only if you are on the visa waiver program. All vsia holders in the event of a problem are entitled to have their case heard before an immigration judge. That's the rule as far as I'm aware.

[IO540]

What I found, having done all this, is that nobody is really very interested in what exemptions there are.

One can argue about training commenced before Oct 2004, about training involving less than 18hrs/week, etc, but in the end all people are interested in seeing is the TSA approval and an M-1 visa.