US policy documents
http://exchanges.state.gov/education...terim_0607.pdf
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-15783.pdf
The Dept. of State found that there are eight flight instruction schools and approximately 350 students in J-1 status studying among them. All flight training programs no longer are viewed to further the public diplomacy mission of the Dept. Dept. of Homeland Security has been better charged with this responsibility according to Dept. of State and flight instruction students will continue to qualify under the M-1 status through DHS.
The J1 visa is an exchange program visa where students, not just pilots, go to the US, learn a profession or trade and then return to their own countries to teach their citizens the same skills. Staying in the US to do flight instruction falls vaguely under this definition but how many of these J1 instructors ever go back to do instruction in their own countries? That is an honest question. Working as a CFI has been tolerated thus far, it is the "overstays" that have brought this issue to the point where the J1 will not be available to pilots anymore. Once again, the ungrateful minority has ruined a good thing for the law-abiding majority!
As mentioned in the 2006 thread, reciprocity is supposed to work both ways. M1 visas will still enable students to go to the US to do all the training up to CPL level, since it is so much cheaper than Europe it is still a bargain. Americans cant work in Europe without going through a lot more hassle than the J1. Everyone seems to hate the US until they want a green card, I saw whines about the DV or green card lottery not being available to UK citizens, so what. The UK is a first world country where everything is available, at a price. The green card lottery is an immigration opportunity designed for countries where people don't have all the opportunities, not just a way to selfishly get work for a few years before going home. I am unaware of any other countries even having such a lottery, correct me if I am wrong.
If the system in the UK, or the rest of Europe, makes it too expensive or difficult to fly there, put pressure on the various CAA's to change instead of blaming the State Department. Since the airlines and manufacturers live off EU and government subsidies, why does the JAA/CAA not reduce costs to pilots by being subsidised too? I don't have the answers but blaming the US for what is actually a local problem does not make sense. Those who do go back to Europe generally earn much higher salaries than their American equals, even allowing for the higher cost of living. That does not seem entirely fair. I had the opposite experience to most, lived in Spain with an FAA ATP and the Spanish CAA was completely uncooperative. They insisted I had an EU passport to fly as PIC, even though I was a resident of Spain and had the legal right to work there. Is that reciprocity? However, I could fly there as PIC in a foreign registered aircraft, carrying Spanish citizens, sharing the same airspace as their own pilots and all that without a JAA licence or EU passport.
I subsequently did the JAA / UKCAA licence but I do not see why there cannot be a standardised licence valid anywhere in the world, physics remain the same all over. Subject for another thread.
I don't have a dog in this fight and it does not affect me in the slightest, I just dislike hypocrisy.