Naples: Thanks for your informative replies. More questions if you don't mind.
Why was it necessary to arrest, handcuff and deport (probably ban further visits to the US as a result) the guy from NZ and another from Aus, who were only trying to attend courses they had booked and paid for. Those guys entered the US on valid visas, or visa waiver, and were entitled to stay on a visit, after all. So they were not entitled any longer to attend the course, since they did not have a student visa. Why not just turn them away, say "have a good holiday" and leave it at that? Why the handcuffs? Why the treatment as a criminal? One of them was reported to have Dept of Justice approval for the course, and as I said, both were entitled to stay in the US, even if they could not attend the course. Can you picture the outrage if a US citizen was to be treated this way in Aus or NZ?
I have a US wife, and she is brainwashed to the point that she does not share my outrage. She says "if it stops another 9/11 it is worth doing, even if some people get hurt." I should not phrase it this way, perhaps, but how can anyone who has a brain bigger than a mouse's brain possibly think that this latest knee-jerk action will improve security? All it will do is drive possible customers of US flight training schools to go elsewhere and cost the US economy lots of money. The problem now is the same as before 9/11: identifying problem individuals and stopping THEM from entering the US in the first place. You'd better believe that when it starts to bite the policy will be changed to just as it was before. 45 days or more to wait for approval to attend a 3 day refresher? Ridiculous.
I have, over the last few years, gotten a US ATP multi and single, CFI and have done the written for the CFII. I was hoping to do the flight chek for this soon. I am in the US on an I 95 (crew visa), not a B1/B2, once or twice a month. My aim is to be prepared for a job in the US once I get the green card ( not in a rush for this but maybe in a year or two). Will I be able to do the flight training and flight check for this certificate now? For me it will not be a formal course, but it will be done a day or two at a time until I am ready for the check ride, and will of course use airplanes less than 12,500 lb.
Appreciate the advice...