Hey guys,
its an old thread, but I wannna update it a little bit, because I am planning already doing my helicopter licence since 3 years and detected a few things.
First of all, for internationals in the US who want to get out with as much hours as possible, itīs crucial to get the F1 visa which allows you to study in the first year and (hopefully) get a job in the second year for building up hours up to 1000 before you get kicked out of the USA if you will get no work permit.
There are 3 big schools in the US who are allowed to issue the F1-Visa: Bristow, Hillsborrow and Mauna Loa Helicopters.
So if you want to do the training as an international its crucial to choose one of the three.
I wanted to start with my training in the first Q2016 at Mauna Loa, but since the ******* Euro droped that hard against the US-Dollar, that forced me to do levelling in new options. But! the US got the biggest benefit with their F1 visa against all other countries on the world where you are able for doing a study like this (please correct me if I am wrong and tell me the countries which have the same benefit) and you are more then less forced of doing the training there if you want to get nearly realistic chances as professional on that competitive market.
Therefore, I wanted to ask you if someone got already experience with the F1 visa?
Is it easy to get and would there be good chances to get after the training a job as CFII for hour building before getting deported, or are the chances that low, that the F1 would be senseless (90% advertising) and it would be better doing the training on any other school on the world with the standard 1 year study visa?
appreciate your feedback,
BR, Rusty