Training in the USA - Visa and TSA Requirements

[nibi786]

US I 20 - A Discrimantory Process

Hello All, In particular AHMC.
I have been through exactly what you have been through. I understand this is frustrating but our friends cannot seem to grasp the concept of using their heads (typical Y****) lol, bit about me:
Name: arab origin
mode of study: Modular/Degree (its an all in one thing)
security: Currently CRB cleared by the RAF (i am a reservist) and i have NEVER been in trouble with the law, a model citizen
by the way - being a degree course, theres 32 people applying with one common case at the us embassy.....and i was the only one to be rejected. after everyone departed without me i waited and called them everyday - but their ignorance persisted....Fortunately i found the BEST flying school in canada where the people are REALLY REALLY FRIENDLY. i have not got to get a visa and at the same time i got expert training at the Moncton Flight College. I now thank the yanks (oops - oh well i was gonna say it) for the godsend and am returning to Moncton for further training - bottom line if they waste your time do not put up with it - stand proud, chin up and go elsewhere! let them spend their money doing research - my taxes are not going there :P
I applied on May 10 and got a reply on August 9....seriously, dont hang around, i didnt
Nibi (happy to answer any questions, just message me)

and rememeber - these people are the people that believe in 'friendly fire'

[Rob's Dad]

Young1
"I have never trained or flown in the US so can not say that I have encountered any such troubles". "It is not only the immigration in Canada that is superior to the US, the training is also of far better quality".

I am currently in the US doing my ME CPL and IR and had no problems WHAT SO EVER with either getting a M1 visa, the TSA approval, or in getting my PPL validated. I can well believe that the Canadian immigration service are probably more polite and helpful than their US counterparts (particularly the obnoxious TSA at Chicago O'Hare) but how can you be so emphatic that the training is better?

Anyone who has experienced both US and Canadian training care to give a qualified opinion?

[HELOFAN]

Hmm.
I am 33yrs Aussie now doing my PPL to CFII rotor in the USA.
J1 visa.
Lived in abroad 4 yrs and applied abroad and was accepted.
Though Iwill suggest not applying at a consulate that is (1) a 3rd world country & (2) busy as hell ( Kingston Jamaica ) as there are hundreds or more of folks every day wanting a US visa, even the application times just for the appointment can be 90 days ( other countries like Mexico 6 months or more ) look on line for us consulate locations and find one that isnt so buys if you are able... sucked to be me but you can apply ( i did ) for an emergecy appointment ...separate ...longer line
Yes the paper work is intensive , lots of history to bring up & I have been around the world around 5 times, stayed in a lot of different countries and moved a million times.
Took me a week to put it all together and a fair few rum'n'cokes/beer to remember all the stuff I needed.

Word to the wise - keep as much of your personal paperwork together in an expandible folder ( or what ever ) it does come in handy ( thanks Mum for that advise about 20 years ago )

I am ex military type as well in a field that had me doing things that I thought may not be that well appreciated but turns out they were ok with.
BE HONEST else they will kick your ass out if they find out later.
The whole thing took ages to do , applications to different agencies copies of this and that ( I am surprised there is any color on my passport left do to being copied a million damn times ).
If anyone stops you at anypoint or you even talk to anyone at any point ...they WILL photocopy your passport !!
READ ALL THE DOCUMENTS THEY REQUEST AND NOTE ALL FINE PRINTS the must haves and so on ( eg photo size etc.. I brought mine in not cut from each other yet & they guy was not going to even let me join the cue #2 of 10 or so.
He cut me a break and got them cut for me ..nice guy... it meant leaving and coming back and rejoining the cue... not good.
I still owe that guy a beer !
CHECK CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK Everything bfore you go , 100 times, you dont want to go back.
And I saw heaps of applicants turned out the door just for not having their $&!t together
$$$.. money money money, its cost around $435 USD bucks in application fees ,, Consulate appointment , CEVIS, TSA, Fingerprints - Yes even fingerprints... LOL become a suspect = free , become an applicant = $30..thanks hell it gets done even when you enter the US at immigration for free on a visitors visa.
Also gets done again once you get here & guess what .. pay for that too.

I even laughed about the $105 for just being an aussie , its true. Turns out we dont cut US student applicants a break on their application fees so the US does the same thing back ( thats exactly how it was explained to me ) just before I had to leave the consulate & the cue , get more cash, rejoin cue #1 ( gets you in to join cue #2 to get back to cue # 5 and start again ( did this 2 times .... saw it coming though ) turns out some fees must be paid cash and some dont have to . LOL hmm that was a great day. ( Yes I had to leave the consulate 2 times , once for cash and 2nd time for a receipt from the Parcel service for the my passport delivery ( oh yeah $$ there too )

Also had to leave cue #6 to pay the next bit then had to do it again cause they didnt take cash at that window & had to go back downstairs to pay it there ..... OMG what a system.
Anyway other than that, the interview was good & the folks friendly.
It was approved that day & I got my passport with visa back a day early 3 days total wait.

Keep copies of everything that you send off or receive back even via e-mail & take it all with you and copies of the copies...trust me that helped on that one. ... everything , anything relavent & dont lose anything , even the little piece of paper ( immigration card) you got when you enter the country after all is approved , you must keep it with your passport and such else you cant get the other things you need to get & it will be asked for. KEEP ALL THE APPLICATION STUFF TOGETHER FOR EVER ...DO NOT SEPERATE IT , I still 4-5 months after entering the country get asked for things.
IS IT WORTH IT ? I hear you scream at your monitor.
hell yeah , I am flying helicopters now and couldnt be happier.
To tell you the truth I think the application process was pretty easy, sure its a drain on you and the old noggin & its takes a full day to go through not including all the application time preparation prior to the big day ,
Do you want it or not ?
I am glad I did it , I love flying helicopters.

Cheers
HF

[chrisbl]

I have to say that I have had little trouble getting the M1 visa but then I am white middle aged with a good job and home and family in the UK and clearly no incentive to stay in the US beyond the duration of the visa. I also have the means to properly fund my visits.

That makes a good starting point for minimum hassle. I would suggest that anything that varies from that starts to make things a bit more difficult.

The US approach does have some logic to it, you may not like it - tough.

[rosewellian]

If I have already been signed of by FAA MEI as ready for flight test would I need any VISA to do the FAA Multi Check Ride with a DPE. Or do check rides also constitute training and therefore require a VISA

[B2N2]

Well, where did you train?
If you trained outside of the US for an FAA rating or license you should have gone through the required background check and finger printing.

No flight school or FBO in the US will rent you a twin for a check ride based on the fact that you have a sign-off from a MEI.
You will have to do a check-out with one of their instructors and since you do not hold the ME rating on your US license that constitutes training towards a rating or license.
Therefore I would say that you need a visa.

[rosewellian]

Thanks B2N2, I have about 8hrs multi training done in the USA back in 2004
was hoping to do a bit of refresher with FAA MEI based in UK in rented Seneca2 and get sign off with him so that on arrival apart from an hour or so familarisation in the local area I could get straight into the check ride.

The purpose of getting the FAA Multi rating added to my Unrestricted FAA license is so that I can fly a seneca3 which I have purchased and which will stay on N reg from Florida back to UK in March (albeit in conjunction with route experienced ferry pilot). (I already have Instrument on my FAA ticket and multi/IR endorsement on my UK licence)

To solve the renting of a/c for check-ride I was considering using my own a/c for the area familarisation and check-ride but not sure how that would wash with the DPE or my insurance company.


At the end of the day if I need the M1 visa I will just accompany the ferry pilot for the experience and return to the states as soon as I get the VISA which I think takes 2-3 months to come through

[class a]

I believe you can do you flight test with Tom Houston over in Norwich he has just got his FAA Examiners ticket I believe he is the only one in Europe now might save you any hassle

[rosewellian]

Tom was very helpfull to me and I was going to do check-ride with him but if you check his website www.businessair.us you will see that due to circumstances beyond his control that is no longer the case

[B2N2]

From their website;

# Ground School (Formal four day course with LaserGrade exam included)-£675.00
# Ground School (Hourly rate)---------------------------------------£45.50
# LaserGrade Exams (Excluding Designated Pilot Examiner & Inspection Authorization)------------------------------------------------------£155.00
# LaserGrade Exams (Designated Pilot Examiner & Inspection Authorization)------------------------------------------------------£275.00
# Biennial Flight Review (Includes one hour ground & one hour flight. DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRCRAFT)-----------------------------------------£165.50


These prices are fairly outrageous.
They also claim to be the only one in Europe providing these services....
But Flight safety in Paris and http://www.n-flight.com/ in Egelsbach Germany also provide these services.

Ros, the way you describe it you might very well be able to do it without a visa considering that you are only in the US for the checkride.
This is one of the many situations where the TSA website or others don't offer a solution.
Officially your MEI in the UK should have taken the TSA CFI security awareness training and taken you through the finger printing process in the UK.
The finger printing and background check is required for training for a US license or certificate inside AND outside of the US.

DPE will want so see proof of insurance, proof of annual and relevant inspections taken care of. Should not be a problem.

[2close]

Off topic but can anyone who has recently gone through the process advise me on the duration of the J1 / M1 Visa application process from first form completion to the earliest date you can set foot on US soil?

Thx.

[Rob's Dad]

2-close

I'm in the US now with an M1 visa (done CPL and MER just my IR to finish). Waiting time for embassy was only 2 weeks and it was about 3 days after the visit there that I received the visa by courier. So in theory 3 weeks, but I'd suggest factoring in some delays. Make sure you have all your 'ducks in a row' though re paperwork as any problems at the embassy and you are looking at another 2 week delay - and they do check you have everything.

RD

[davey147]

How many M-1 visas can you have. Is it a case of getting the 12 month one, then going home and applying for another?

Ive heard that the embassy in Dublin have an arrangement to issue 10 year M-1 visas. Has anyone else heard this?

[2close]

Cheers RD. Much appreciated.

Davey, I may be mistaken but I was informed you can only hold one visa and only be issued one visa - once you've used that up, it's the end - but that doesn't ring quite true.

Let's take Mister Beckham, no right of residence, not essential labour, not setting up any business that is going to employ loads of US citizens, not on any training program but somehow gets a visa to work in the USA for x years.

If your face fits, you get, if not, back of the queue pal!

I was also told by a US FTO that once you've arrived in country armed with your M1 / J1 visa you are limited to leaving the country for periods of no more than 3 weeks - any more than that and you don't get back in on that visa. Anyone got any experience of this?

2close

[davey147]

You definately can have 2, because Ive had two. I would just like to go again for more than a year.

[acebk]

Afsp Help

Hello im about to start my training in a month at Mazzei Flying Service.
Im going for My CPL with ME and IR rating. I have to question.

1. I have not yet gotten my M1 visa can i still go ahead and submit a training request?


2. I will have to do 3 training request, one each for PPL, ME and IR. I will submit them all at once, will i have to pay $130 each totaling to $390 or will i just pay $130 for all?


Thanks

[HELOFAN]

Read my thread above , though that consulate was a pain it was pretty easy.

Now , I understand from others that have tryied to re apply for another Visa & been denied, you cannot get a J1 visa for the same course, though if you did a CPLH instead of another CPLA then you should be ok.
The M1 visa can be re issued over and over ..thats why folk come in part time get the course section completed and come back when their work permits.

On the Beckham thing......ARE YOU DAVID BECKHAM? LOL

Celebs have a different path besides think of all the musicians touring etc

Other than that, PM me if you like & I can tell you more


HF

[arms2serve]

Hello everyone,

I've read many of your posts and found even people in a country like UK find it hard to get a US visa.

Let's take a look at my situation and try to figure out what chances do I have to get an M-1. I am 24, live in Pakistan, am willing to train in a US flight school, and I'm a Christian.

In 2005, I applied for a visit visa to attend my cousin's wedding. But after a few rather silly questions by the interviewer I was told I am being denied a visa because "guys my age go there and don't come back". Why they still accept application from "guys my age" obviously I can't ask anyone. One problem I could think of from my case is that they don't care to thoroughly inspect the intention of the applicant. Asking a few question and making such a decision doesn't really help someone's hopes of ever getting a visa. Although I took my Baptism certificate to prove I'm a Christian in case they may have acute Islamophobia, but they didn't really care whether I was or not.

All I want to know is what do these guys really want from a person applying from a country like Pakistan?

[davey147]

I dont think it matters where you are from, but you do have to prove to them that you will return to your home country.

Either by, a letter from your employer stating that you are to return to work in xx amount of weeks.

Or ties in property, business, family.

You must prove the above or you wont get the visa, that applies to all people no matter where they are from.

You may now find it difficult to get a US visa, as you have been denied it once before. You need to speek to your embassy for further info.

The embassys main concern is that you wont remain in the USA illegally, thats why they ask the questions.

[arms2serve]

I had with me the sponser letter which was sent to me by my cousin whose wedding I was to attend, who is a US citizen and I had all the property documents with me but it didn't work out, all he said was "guys my age don't come back".