Originally Posted by Irish Expat
Hi Peewit
Quick query, I just wanted to confirm that, indeed, one can do the written exams before the practical flying hours?, can one do these exams in Europe and use the qualification in US? If so how long does the qualification remain valid
Also does this apply to the medical, could I get say , a Danish medical and use it in U.S. and again how long will it remain valid.
Is there a lot of paperwork involved in getting the Visa, and would most peolpe that apply be granted one, my only worry is being refused the M1 Visa for some reason and then being refused future entry into the States for other reasons as a result, in the future, Cheers! IE
Hi IE
I am doing the JAA PPL and completed all my CAA written exams in England before coming out. There is a student here from Denmark also doing JAA PPL at NAC and the exams he did in Copenhagen were not accepted although I do not know why, so he is doing the CAA exams again (all seven). There is also a student from Cork and he is here for a year and he had not done any pre-study and is doing the FAA course and groundschool.
I will ask Torsten where he got his medical (probably Copenhagen) but I would have thought that as long as it is with a properly approved doctor it would be acceptable here.
Lastly there is quite a lot of paperwork, and a lot of fees in getting the M1 Visa. If you enroll with NAC they send you a very good guide that tells you what you need to do. A lot of forms you get from, and file on the internet. They do take a while to fill in. I guess that they are looking at your background to make sure you are a "good person" and also that you have ties outside the US and are likely to return home after the training. You need to attend an interview at a US embassy. My interview was in London. I had to arrive at a specific time. I waited 2 hours to get my documentation checked and then another 2 hours for the interview that took 2 minutes. Then I paid a fee for a courier to return my passport with the visa in it after a few days.
I suppose this could be tedious for someone in a hurry to get a visa but in my case it was just part of the many processes involved in PPL training.
NAC arrange the fingerprints to be taken here in Naples. In fact a policeman comes out to the school to do it.
Hope that helps with your decision.
There are probably others on this thread that can provide the complete answer.
I have no regrets with my decision.
Peewit