Originally Posted by B Sousa
i4ig writes: I'm 38 and have just got my J1 visa to start training in the US - just 3 weeks to go before I leave! I'm also taking my wife and kids.
I hope your going all the way thats through CFI, or are you doing one of the JAR courses.
Anyway I know of a few newbies who come from Europe on a visa and finish up their school before the visa expires. They (depending on the visa) are allowed to work in the U.S. until it expires.....
Check on it as I dont know what visa allows this. I do know that
www.papillon.com has hired a few in the past and they went home with some money and a few hundred hours in AS-350/EC-130s
This is interesting! I'd be VERY careful here. (Depending on the visa). i4iq I'm guessing, is going to the well known flight school, that issues the J1 visa, and does both JAA and FAA training and will be staying in the US for a maximum of 24 months?
You can only work as a flight instructor on your J1 visa. No if's not but's.
A lot of people will know who I am so I'm not worried about blowing my cover!
I went to the fore-mentioned training school, did the stated training, got the required certificates, worked as a flight instructor (very happily I might add) reached the magic hours, applied to the tour operator you mentioned, got offered the job......but then couldn't work.
Again, it's not impossible, just very expensive and takes a long time. Immigration attorney's can best advise you these matters and change of status, I was told it would all be complete in a month to six weeks...Don’t bank on it!
But having said that, it does depend on what visa you do yur training on.
Good luck
LB
