US flight instruction / visa requirements

[McCroskey]

Sorry to bring this old problem up again but I seem to have hit a brick wall. I'm a British citizen with a frozen ATPL and was looking to build up some hours by becoming a flight instructor in the US. I was hopefully going to enroll with one of the big US flight training schools, who help sort out the M1 or J1 visa required, gain the FAA CPL and all FI ratings required and instruct in the US until my visa expired. However, I have been told that this is not possible as I cannot gain a US visa as I already hold a foreign CPL and therefore would not be classed as a student pilot.
I've spoken to the big flight schools eg, Flight Safety and Sierra Academy and they do seem to think that there maybe a way around this problem but dont have a clue what that would be nor do they seem very interested in helping me find one.
Does any one know how someone with a UK CPL could get to instruct in the US?, I find it hard to believe that anyone with a CPL other than an FAA CPL cannot get a visa in the US, not even to train.
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has gone through the US training system or is in a similar position as me.
Many thanks.

[Freak On A Leash]

Hey McC.
You are right about not being able to be classified as a student pilot since you already have a non-US CPL, the case would be different if you only had a PPL (and possibly an IR on the PPL).
You`re still going to be able to get a US visa to do the training, and you will also be able to get the instructor rating (CFI), but the snag is that you do not qualify for the J-1 visa.In effect, the J-1 is the only student visa that allows you to work as an instructor.
You`ll still be eligible for the F and M visas, but you can`t instruct with them (they are renewable, but that doesn`t help you at all).

There might be a way around the problem, and that is by enrolling with a flight school that also offers university degrees.The way this is done (meaning instructing) is that you are allowed to work "on campus" while you are enrolled with the university program (still getting your degree).You might want to make some enquiries about this to, let`s say, Embry-Riddle, UND, UAA.;)

Hope this gets your hopes up a little bit.

[mattpilot]

the other thing you could do after obtaining a CFI rating is to work for yourself. In other words, be self-employed.

Even if you get a J visa (or the one that allows you to work), you would only be able to work 10 hours a week (afaik).

[Saint00]

There are alot of flightschools in the US that do not care if you have the proper visa or not.
If you bring up the matter then it will be a problem.

[Freak On A Leash]

Saint00, care to name a few...?Been trying to get back on as a CFI with my former employer - doing it legally through an H-3 visa, but this sounds a lot easier than it is, and so far no luck:(

Yes, you probably could find a few schools that don`t care/look the other way about visas, but then how do you think they treat their employees, let alone their aircraft (maintenance and such)?
...and what happens if you get busted?How does automatic deployment and being on the blacklist/s**tlist for abour 5 years sound?

But if you still think it`s worth it...

[mattpilot]

if you do get busted as a foreigner doing illegal stuff here, you will be deported and chances are they wont let you back for a very long time.

yet then again, there are millions of illegal mexicans who do illegal stuff every single day and the police "can't touch them", if ya know what i mean.

I personally have been admitted to a very good part 141 school (1 week prior 9/11) without having a student visa. I had a journalist visa which, according to INS says i can't study here - or something like that. They didn't care cause it was valid for 5 years and let me in. Even after 9/11 i updated my visa and they still didn't care.

IF the flight school gets cought admitting foreigners in an illegal manner, they will lose their right to admit any other foreigners. I doubt it is worth it to them since 9/11.

[pinkpilot]

Try Comair they have a new deal with AFT in Coventry and they do some JAA modular training there. They will take $16000 from your pocket to convert a JAA Multi IR with Instructor rating to the same thing with FAA. Apparently they say that they can get you a J1 for 24 months and you instruct with them for 18-21 months getting $12 an hour for a max of 70 hour per month!!! I checked up the visa requirements and they said nothing higher than a PPL and a max of 100 hours for a J1, but Comair said that they can get the visa. I am slightly doubtful, but hey if it works let me know. Good Luck Pp