Working/Flying on F-1 visa in the US.

[nsainesa]

Good day fellow Rotor Heads!

I am hoping someone here is able to assist me with my dilemma, please?

I am currently working on my CPL and Intrument rating at a school in the US. I am on a F-1 visa through the school.

However, I have come to realise that the weather in the area where I am living is not preferrable for me to get the maximum hours in the (possible) two years I will have to work once I am qualified. Therefore, I am investigating the possibility of moving to another school in an area with better weather conditions (i.e. where you can fly every week) to complete my training, CFI and hopefully secure a job with that school.

Obviously, my main obstacle is the fact that I am foreigner and on a F-1 visa. I would like to be able to work for the maximum allowable time in the US once I have completed my training, and hopefully longer. I have spoken to several schools who say that the F-1 visa is not very common.

I have done some research and have found the following schools who offer F-1 visas. I have contacted them accordingly and will see what will transpire. If anyone knows of another school which I have missed, please feel free to let me know.

Hillsboro Aviation
Mauna Loa
Cloud 9
Pelican
Bristow

Is there any other way to work (fly) in the US without the F-1 visa? Obviously, I am talking about a job, where I can build hours and get paid too. My funds are rapidly depleting, as I'm sure most of you have experienced the same situation.

Any advice/guidance/direction would be greatly appreciated.

Regards.

[MartinCh]

well, not sure how much information you actually got.

two years AFTER training? You must be joking. I mean, with HAI, you can do PPL and bit more hours and then kickstart F1, which is for training PLUS OPT, which is up to 12 months.

So where are those 2 years coming from for work as CFI?

OPT is bit more hassle than old '2yr aviation J1', as you're supposed to get job offer/job before the training part end. It does not have to be with school that does same thing, out of those post-J1 programmes including 'new' member to F1 school club, Mauna Loa.

I was writing about the fixed wing CFIing, but realised it's rotorheads post. Hmm. Well, good news is that HAI has been hiring more instructors past few years, but leaving them with less hours on average.

You don't have to stay at HAI for OPT, but it's your best chance. Be glad to get a chance to fly first few hundred hours of instructing after training.
I doubt you'd get heli CFI job elsewhere (though when I did most of my PPL at HAI back in 2008, there were some CFI grads who got jobs in Midwest of US).

I even talked to one German guy (one of VERY few) who did his training at HAI and got job at Bristow Academy. He's got green card (AFTER, through wife) but he was on J1 that time.

Even for US CFI grads, the market is hard to get into/very competitive, so don't take it personally if you only hear 'no thanks' calling around.

[IceHeli]

Martin.. The currrent rules allow for 12 months training, 12 monhts OJT and a possible 12 month OJT extension.. So currently you "can" do 24 months... I do not have any information about the likelyhood of that happening though...

Changing schools is a possibility, but should not be taken lightly... If you are shooting for the 1000 hour mark - you only need 800 hours in performing duties of CFI. That should/could be possible to do in 12 months even if it is in Oregon..

But in the end, it all comes down to your personal evaluation - what is important for you and where you deem your possibilities are the greatest...

Best of luck!