weetabix,
For any courses a Visa is required. For recreational flying, you do not need a Visa, but if you can get a Visa, do. It makes entering the country a lot easier.
Right now there are new changes going into place. President Bush just signed a new immigration bill into law and INS is tightening the flight training rules.
In an Article from Fox News titled
Attorney General Announces New Foreign-Student Tracking System they reported the following:
Attorney General John Ashcroft announced a new student visa tracking program Friday that would create an Internet-based system allowing the Immigration and Naturalization Service to keep tabs on hundreds of thousands of foreign students.
Last month, the INS said it would close the loophole Atta and Al Shehhi exploited by not allowing foreign students to enroll in school unless their visas were already approved.
I have been hearing reports of students being turned back to the U.K. for not having Visas. Last month, a school who does not have Visa Authority had 4 out of their 8 U.K. students turned back. The month prior they even had a student turned in by the flight crew because he was reading a Trevor Thom book on the aircraft.
When you enter the country for flying get a Visa if you can and when in front of Immigration, tell the truth.
Best of Luck,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.