J1 visa....so whats going to replace it???

[Dave Spellman]

Hi there

I hope to travel to Fort Lauderdale in the new tear to get my FAA CPL & CFI licenses. The J1 visa option sounds excellent for what I'm looking for...giving me a 24 month visa for study & work, however I have heard that the J1 visa is due to expire completely at the end of this year (2009). What I need to know is if there is going to be a similar visa replacing the expiring J1....?? Hope someone can shed some light on this for me...:hmm:

[photex]

These guys will know...

http://www.heli.com/

[handbag]

http://download.aopa.org/epilot/2009/091015j1.pdf

I have a feeling the J1 will not be replaced.

[MartinCh]

DS, you've got till end of the year to get your DS form.
You need to do some paperwork beforehand.
then you have to enter US by beginning of June 2010 to be secure.

Question is, does Bristow Academy have spaces, I presume you won't be the only one hasting to get in before the flight training J1 is gone.

Seeing the vain attempt doc below, it just confirms my old presumptions.
I wouldn't call it 'end of the schools' in heli training. Hillsboro Aviation also has airplane side of training and lots of German and Scandinavian heli students, who could do the JAA conversion once back.

Bristow Academy should make do with M1 visa only as well. Just some of the fixed wing overpriced J1 schools would take bigger hit if they don't have the J1 visa advantage anymore. That's just my outsider opinion.

If BA is clogged for combined JAA/FAA or JAA only programmes, get onto FAA only and do the European theory alongside. You can actually sit all the exams in Florida without being directly on their flagship programme.

It may take only a week or two to get all the paperwork for the DS form sorted. Then you can take your time with the embassy visa interview sometime January or February or whenever in due time. So long you have the DS form issued by school before NYE. Easy.

Enjoy

[ReverseFlight]

The J-1 visa exists all but in name only. Why should the US offer jobs to outsiders when thousands of US local pilots are out of work ? In the last year or so, foreign students with J-1 visas haven't been getting instructional opportunities after completion of their training because their instructors haven't had the chance to move up the industry. This applies across the board to both fixed and rotary wing. The few exceptions are those who have special experience (eg thousands of hours of heavy multi-engine time).

[handbag]

I guess you may want to sign this petition then ! Let's try and get it into double figures !

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/9/abolish-the-j-1-visa-program-protect-american-jobs

[lelebebbel]

i trained 5 initial students in the last 2 years while on my J-1 visa in the US, and 4 of them are now employed as CFI(H)s. 2 at the same school I worked, 2 elsewhere. All of them found their job within the last 6 months.

The fifth one ran out of money before finishing his training and went back home overseas.

Certainly my students have been exceptionally lucky to all find jobs, but it is not impossible. It is just really hard at the moment.





Oh and about the "J1 program killing american jobs"

Each J-1 rotorwing student spends about $60-70k in the US to pay for his flight training alone - plus rent, food, car etc.
While working as a CFI, the expected pay is less than $30k a year, much less in most cases. Most of that, again, is spent in the USA on rent, food, car..
After finishing your training, usually there are around 12 months left to work.

Do the math. Basically, each foreign J1 student pays a huge amount of money to an american flight school, even if they work there during their stay. How is this a bad thing for the US?

[ripanrocks]

I received emails from Ari Ben stating that J-1 Visa would be replaced by new F-1 Visa starting in 30 days of 2010.
I searched a lot, but didnt go any info about the "new" F-1, although I know about the old F-1(i.e Fulltime Academics + 20 hrs work"oncampus" per week).
So if any1 has any info's abt the "new" F-1, plz share !!!!!!!!
Well, shall I apply for the J-1 Visa now, or am I too late for this ?
Anyways, what will happen to those who are already on J-1 or about to end their 2 years time ??

[ripanrocks]

Any latest info's ? :ugh:

[Droste]

Now, ripanrocks, I would like to give you advice on this!

Getting training visa may not be difficult. However, most blood sucking schools requires you to pay huge deposit! Real huge deposit! Now, if you don't like the school and you wish to change one, I am afraid the deposit will be forfeited!

If I were you, I am concen about the deposit rather than the visa!

Getting a silly J1 or F1 visa is not an issue at all! You can switch visa pretty easily so long you are presently there in the United States! Get the hell into the United States first, then, concern about switching visa. This will be alot easier!

Time for you to wake up and look at blood sucking schools which requires you huge amount of deposits. :hmm:

Skip those schools requires huge deposits. In my humble opinion, good schools do not require you to put large amount of deposit because they are confident that you will finish the course with them! Got my idea?!

Now, list out the all schools which do not require you to put huge deposit. From there, I will give you a better advice which school to choose!

[lelebebbel]

that sounds really dramatic, and I'm sorry that you have obviously had some bad experience there Droste, but to my knowledge there are only 2 schools in the US that can issue J1 visa to train foreigners, and none of them require a deposit.

Getting a silly J1 or F1 visa is not an issue at all! oh really? I wouldn't mind getting a F1 visa then.. where do I sign?

[Phil77]

Getting a silly J1 or F1 visa is not an issue at all!

Err, while it is true that it's usually not an issue to get a student visa, the F-Visa is not the right kind - it is intended for academic students only. The M-1 is intended for nonacademic vocational students.

Anyway, I suggest you read up on the State Departments website: Student Visas (http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html#long)

[Droste]

but to my knowledge there are only 2 schools in the US that can issue J1 visa to train foreigners, and none of them require a deposit.
Let me add in to your knowledge further!

I managed to dig out this school (http://www.pelican-airways.com/new/visas.htm) offering J1 visa which requires a deposit of $1000! :eek: More hidden cost!

[Trans Lift]

Droste, that is going to be typical for most places. It is an administration fee for them to process your application. It doesn't come for free you know. I had to do the same for Bristow, as far as I remember. It was a while ago now.

Application fees are somewhat different to a deposit though, right? I just got my green card this year through marraige, and if I had not passed the interview I would have lost all of my application fees (and lawyer fees).

[anti-talk]

mmm - I think they are using the J1 from the Fixed Wing programme and issuing it to the Heli students - not sure how legitimate that is!

[dwoodcoc]

Do some more research on Pelican, and think twice(and then think again) before going there. I know someone who used to work there. I've met students, or should I say ex students, and none of them have good things to say about the school!

[Contiki1]

Does anyone on here have any new information about J1 visa ending and possible replacement.

Thanks

[Rotorbee]

Pelican offers a F1 visa, not J1. They claim it is valid for 3 years, but it is for academical studies.

[MartinCh]

Contiki, nothing new on AOPA website.
No idea about the result of the open letter (link provided in earlier post in this thread).

The latest 'article' is the one in link below. Nothing new. They do exaggerate the impact on 'all' J1 schools, but nonetheless, bad news for future heli trainees. That is, once the heli training in the US gets back to previous years - if at all.
AOPA Online: As deadline nears, GA groups seek future for training visa (http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2009/091103j1.html)

There will be avenues, but not sure how worth in current state of CFI job market in the US, considering it'd cost extra thousands of dollars.

Don't expect any good news from the US Govt agencies. It's nice to hope, though.

EDIT: Just out of interest, go guys have a look at the current bookings for RHC Safety course (SFAR73, for the new guys in 'town', it's a requirement in order to instruct in R22/44 in the USA, 'safety awareness' etc).
Normally booked out 5-7 months ahead, now hardly month ahead and last time I checked, only couple weeks. Pretty clear sign, much less folks coming through the training.
OH, by checking the link, I saw next week's one is available too.
http://www.robinsonheli.com/cgi-local/sched.pl?file=ssched