what visa for an FAA IR(H) course
As a European citizen who holds FAA CPL and CFI certificates I intend to add an initial instrument rating and ATPL(H) to my license.
I would like to see a concise but clear explanation to my doubt as there simply doesn`t seem to be a definite answer on the web, rather it seems to be a grey area.
In terms of the TSA clearance requirement, it's clear that one would need to be approved for sure but as for the visa...
... my understanding is that if you plan to enter the US primarily for flight training, in a full time course of OVER 18 hrs per week, you will need a student (M-1) visa that only part 141 schools can sponsor you for.
What legal documents or regulations do USCIS officers refer to in order to determine whether I will spend more than the mentioned 18hrs/week or less? I guess with a part 141 school,one could look at their study curriculum that lists the number of hours of ground and flight tuition per week but in case of a part 61 school i could study at my own pace and state that I will study less than 18 hours a week, couldn`t I? This, in theory, from my understanding would determine if I can just fill out an ESTA online and clear immigration as a tourist who will undergo some training too or is forced to go through an annoying process of applying for an M1 student visa?
Could someone who recently went through these trainings as a non-us citizen provide some clarity ?
Thank you so much!