USA M1 Visa Times?

[hubbs1982]

Hi there,

Can anyone who has recently applied for (and received) the M1 student visa for the US and also the TSA background check give me an idea of how long the process took? If it is possible for a detailed breakdown of how long each particular phase of the process was, that would be much appreciated. Ideally from the Embassy in London, although I imagine the wait times will be pretty similar all over Europe.

Also, where did you get your TSA fingerprints done?

Thanks very much in advance

[n90bar]

Hiya,

I got my M1 visa back in February from the US Embassy in London. I found it all very straight forward - although there are quite a few online forms to be done before you go to the Embassy for the interview - which lasted all of 2 minutes! You need some passport photos for them aswell. The TSA took slightly longer, I got my training provider to do the fingerprints as they are authorised to do so. Can save alot of time when out in the states. For me the most bother was the TSA accepting a photocopy/email of my passport - took 3 or 4 attempts before it was accepted.
Generally I know that not everyone obtains the visa so quick - I think in certain cases it can takes months - and the Embassy are in no rush to give you answers or a timeline if this happens to you!

Good Luck!

[waveydavey]

The TSA process isn't very long, but then it depends how quick your flight school is with the I20... then you have to make your appointment at the Embassy which can be a few weeks away. If you are flexible enough you can generally get a quicker appointment and processing at the Consulate in Belfast. The documentation states to allow 2 - 3 hours for the appointment, but at Belfast I was in and out in 40 minutes, and my passport arrived home the following morning!
I think the whole process for me took about 6 weeks, but I didn't take the first appointment I was offered so it could be done quicker.

[hubbs1982]

Thanks for your replies, looks like I'm gonna have to get the process started ASAP.

Can you tell me what questions they asked you in the interview, and what responses you gave?

Cheers

[n90bar]

I and a few others from my course were only asked what we were going to be doing, how long for and how many hours experience (if any) we had. One or two of the interviewers also joked that the price of the course was enough in itself for you to get the M1!!!!

[Warrior2]

OK,

The First thing you do is call the embassy and schedule an appointment, leave about 6-8 weeks from the time yuo book to the date itself, once that is done you will need to start with the paperwork,

1) apply to TSA on this website (https://www.flightschoolcandidates.gov/wizard/static/html/wizard.html) and set up an acoount (free)

2) You need to talk to the school you wish to attend and make sure that you are on their list of students

3) once you have the TSA account you will have to begin a training application, most of this will just be your school you are attending, how long, your name, age, height weight, eye colour, there very big into detail, depending on the course you will be taking you will be catagorized!

4) once your application is accepted and approved they will ask for a fee! i think i paid $100. they will then contact the school to see if you are on their list as a potential student!

5) the school should say yes if you have contacted them and TSA gives the school the go ahead to issue you with an I-20 form, this is probably the most important form as you will have to carry it through your whole stay,

6) when you get your I-20 form in the post (not by e-mail because its an offical document) you will have to go to the Student Exchange Visitor Programes website here (http://www.FMJfee.com) there it will ask you for codes from your I-20 form and another payment, think this one is $130, once that is done, you can print off a receipt of payment or wait for the official document to come in the post, either will do for the interview at the embassy!

7) When you arrive at the embassy you will need the following :

Passport:
1inch by 1 inch passport photograph

forms: DS-156 DS-157 and DS-158 (thats what i needed, you may need others)

I-20 Form

SEVIS Receipt or SEVIS Cert either will do!

Registered Envelope

any document to convince them you will be returning to the UK

and a good lot of patients :)


Visa arrived to me 1 working day after the interview




**** If i left anything out guys let me know!

Warrior

[BackPacker]

I wrote a long article on this in the Private Flying forum. It applies mostly to PPLs, but covers a lot of your questions too. It's a sticky now, so you'll find it at the top.

[chrisbl]

These days when you make the appointment with the US embassy they take the fee off you there and then.

my advice is:

1.Get sorted with the school you want to go to and get the I-20 usually around $100-$200.

2. Once you have the I-20 make your Visa appointment and pay your fee $100. (The phone call costs about £8 because they use a premium rate number)

3. Pay your SEVIS fee $100

4. Open an account with the TSA but do nothing other than open the account.

5. Sort out where you will staying whilst training (it is needed for the visa form)

6. Visit embassy and await visa (£13 delivery Charge)

7. Once visa received go to TSA site and submit training request. This process will cost around $100.

8. Once the request is approved, finger prints are needed. These can be done in the UK at Flight Safety at Farnborough for $130 or wait until you arrive in the States.

Basically dont arrange for your visa interview until you have all your info together.
Currently the US embassy in London is busy processing all the camp america applicants so getting an appointment may mean that you get a cancellation at short notice or have to wait a bit. Having all your paperwork sorted means you can get the cancellation. ( I got a cancellation and only had to wait a month).

The other point to note is only take yourself and you paperwork to the embassy. No mobiles no laptops no mp3 players nothing electrical at all and no big bags. You will be refused entry and you might have to pay the appointment fee again $100.

[Pilot.Pete]

Thanks for the advice
:ok:

[frogone]

How do you make an appointment with your embassy? In my case Ireland. Can you make it online or do you just 'call' the embassy?

IR

[redout]

The contact details for the US Embassy in Dublin are here Visa Services - U.S. Embassy Dublin, Ireland (http://dublin.usembassy.gov/general.html)

A person must call by telephone to make an appointment which costs a whopping €2.40 per min ! or if outside Ireland there is an alternative number which you are charged a flat fee of €16 by credit card. They ask if you are in possession of your I-20. I called last friday and was offered an interview for tuesday morning - very quick indeed.

[MartinCh]

My 'bill' for the call was only about £7ish. But then, I didn't have to hold for too long and it was UK premium number. Technically, you could pop in to Belfast for the interview. Faster than elsewhere. There are guys from Scotland or England flying over just to show up at the embassy.

I noticed the SEVIS fee is 200 bucks these days. Oi. Since Oct 2008, BTW.
Hard to keep track of all the raises, innit?

Visa interview was $131 last time I checked (what I paid, since January 2008)

TSA $130 these days (unless category 4, n/a to you)

That's 161 Dollars extra since autumn 2007 for all these fees.

Let's say 200 bucks for 'I-20 admin fee' to school (printing out couple pages and putting one's name/DOB in), 200 SEVIS, 131 embassy/consulate, TSA 130 (if applicable, for initial, instrument, MEI planks) obviously CPL "does not significantly enhance one's flying abilities" - haha, ~15 bucks for premium call, travelling to interview if far from home, about £5 for prepaid special delivery envelope (plastic pouch) for passport being sent back.

You don't have to pay more cash for fingerprinting outside USA as schools would arrange it, but it'll mean day or two before actual flying officially allowed. Another 30-50 bucks, if in the USA.

Running total about USD 700+ before spending on flights and loads of dosh on flying.

Lots of hassle filling out TSA website personal data, DS forms online, printing it out, arranging interview.
Moral of the story? Make sure it's worth it. Finish your PPL or IR to avoid coughing up part of it again..

OR, if you don't plan to fly a lot (whole training or most of it), use that 'admin fees' cash and go elsewhere.
One's gotta like VWP for hour building on 'based on' FAA PPL, though.