Flying to busy US airports for non US based carriers requires a thorough understanding of the FAA differences with one's own national regulations. As an example for a visual approach according to the FAA :
- Controllers may initiate, or pilots may request, a visual approach even when an aircraft is being vectored for an instrument approach and the pilot subsequently reports:
- The airport or the runway in sight at airports with operating control towers.
- The airport in sight at airports without a control tower.
in EASA land (for example) :
The initial and intermediate approach phases of an approach executed under the direction of a controller comprise those parts of the approach from the time vectoring is initiated for the purpose of positioning the aircraft for a final approach until the aircraft is on final approach and:
(a) established on the final approach path of a pilot-interpreted aid; or
(b)
reports that it is able to complete a visual approach; or
(c) ready to commence a surveillance radar approach.Basically the big difference is that under EASA the visual approach will always come upon a request from the pilot whether in the States You can get one (and You will) by the controller's initiative. Being ready for it is what makes the difference.