USA Pilot training on an F1 student visa

[hannibull]

Hi

A friend of mine took college classes in the US while taking flight training on the side. This was on an F1 visa. I'm in college right now on the same visa yet now both the flight school as well as the college say that I'm not allowed to take flight training because I don't have an M1 visa.
All websites I go to say that if I have an F1 visa I am allowed to take flight training on the side as long as I'm enrolled in college full-time.

I am very upset to hear this... did this law change recently?

[ab33t]

Two different visa's for two different applications. You would require a M1/J1 visa and TSA clearance for flight training.

[nmcpilot]

Been this way for a couple of years at least, I went to the US and did some flying in 2006 and needed an M1 so don't know, I'm not sure if its different if you are already licensed and aren't training more just leisure flying??? But definately for actual license training you need an M1...

[gfunc]

Hi, I'm on an F-1 visa myself and training is in the US is allowed.

People saying you NEED an M-1 are talking b0110cks. Most people who come to the US to train have done so with the sole purpose of training, for which they are allocated the M-1 visa. I guess people assume that M-1 automatically equates to flight training.

Before I started flying here I emailed the USCIS (formerly Homeland security/ICE / INS) to ask what was required, they emailed back saying the only stipulation is that you have to be enrolled full-time (i.e. maintain your F-1 status) and that the people who handle your SEVIS I20 issue (normally some "international student services" or such) enter that you are undertaking flight training in the remarks section, just to be safe.

I'm not sure if I still have the email (I don't have access to it at the mo) but if I find it I'll post or PM it along with contact info for the people at USCIS.

The TSA thing is seperate to the visa so USCIS didn't know anything or care about this. I haven't gone through the TSA thing because I already held my PPL before I started flying here (I didn't need any training toward a licence), but from the description on the alien flight student program site there is a full pull down list of visa types - you'll see the text in the guide says "Options are: A1, B1, B2, etc.". As long as you are in the country legally, maintain your status and don't exceed the limits of your visa you should have no problems. Learning to fly is no different to learning to scuba dive (except the TSA making sure you are not an evildoer), even if you are after a commercial license.

Make sure you maintain your F-1 status and get your TSA check. Go Fly!

PM me if you want any more help/info

Cheers,

Gareth.

PS. Here's a link that the USCIS people referred me to:

http://www.nafsa.org/_/Document/_/sevis_call_summary_-_52.pdf

Ain't google great!

[selfin]

There is no rule requiring students to be granted a student visa in most circumstances. The problem arises through ignorance on the part of the immigration inspector who reserves absolutely the right to deny admittance. Some people, with the correct TSA assessment in place, have been denied admittance, some haven't. The hassle involved in obtaining the visa is therefore balanced, but not required, in most circumstances.

[BigGrecian]

Selfin - any course of study involving more than 8 hours of flying or study a week requires a visa - that's fact not just to do with the entry officer.

So if your here on F1 and flying isn't your primary purpose that's ok.

However, you must have some kind of visa to learn to fly:

A student wishing to attend a university or other academic institution in the United States requires a student (F-1) visa; those wishing to attend a vocational or non-academic institution require an M-1 visa.

[gfunc]

I can't find the reply in my mail, but the people to email are:

[email protected]

I was shocked when I emailed them last year as: (i) They actually replied (ii) They replied in few days (iii) There reply actually answered the question. This was disconcerting after experiencing the shambles that is student visa legislation over the past 5+ years.

I suggest when you email you reference the link above as it sets a precendent and point them in the right direction for look up. The homeland security advisor who emailed me back left their contact info, so my university and the flight school contacted these to verify idependently, as I am obviously untrustworthy.

Gareth.