The U.S. is likely one of the high locations for flight coaching. Many worldwide college students come right here to earn their wings, and others dwelling within the U.S. need to be taught to fly too.
However with strict safety rules, many non-citizens surprise in the event that they’re even allowed to coach. The excellent news is that sure, you’ll be able to, however you’ll want TSA approval first.
Let’s discover what non-U.S. residents have to find out about flight coaching in america.
Key Takeaways
Non-U.S. residents want TSA approval via the Flight Coaching Safety Program (FTSP) to begin flight coaching.
You need to have the precise visa; B-1/B-2 visas don’t qualify.
ICAO license holders can convert to an FAA Personal Pilot Certificates.
FTSP approval requires registration, fingerprinting, and a payment.
The Flight Coaching Safety Program (FTSP)
The Flight Coaching Safety Program (FTSP), previously often known as the Alien Flight Scholar Program (AFSP), is operated by the TSA to ensure that people looking for flight coaching from any FAA-certificated flight faculty or different flight coaching supplier (together with particular person flight instructors and Half 142 coaching facilities) don’t pose a safety danger.
To endure flight coaching, you will need to register on the FTSP official web site. After making use of, TSA will assessment your utility and grant or deny permission.
You need to apply to the FTSP earlier than initiating flight coaching if:
You’re a non-US citizen planning to coach for an preliminary U.S. airman certificates (Personal, Sport, or Leisure), an Instrument Score, a Multi-engine Score, or a Sort Score.
Non‑U.S. residents pursuing any preliminary or recurrent flight coaching should full an STA.
The STA course of consists of submitting passport/visa info, citizenship historical past, fingerprints, and paying the payment, no matter plane weight.
You’re exempt from the FTSP if:
You’re usually exempt from FTSP necessities in case you are solely present process sure sorts of recurrent coaching, like a flight assessment or an instrument proficiency examine (IPC), that aren’t for sustaining or renewing a sort score. Recurrent coaching to take care of or renew a sort score does require FTSP approval below the brand new rule (efficient July 30, 2024).
You’re solely doing floor faculty.
You’re flying balloons, gliders, ultralights, however powered parachutes, weight-shift, and LSAs will not be exempt and do require FTSP approval.
You’re taking a discovery/introductory flight.
Your coaching is by or endorsed by the U.S. DoD or Coast Guard.
Visa Necessities
To endure coaching in america, you will want to fulfill particular visa necessities which can be separate from the TSA AFSP necessities.
In line with U.S. immigration rules (particularly 8 CFR 214.2(b)(7), enforced by businesses like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers – USCIS), any non-US citizen who enters america on a B-1 or B-2 (customer’s) visa usually can’t enroll in a course of research, which incorporates most flight coaching resulting in a certificates.
For coaching, you require both an F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant visa and can’t enroll in a flight coaching course till your F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant visa utility is authorised.
In case you are already in america on a B-1 or B-2 visa and wish to endure flight coaching, you will need to both go away the nation and search readmission on an F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant visa or apply for and procure a change of standing (8 CFR 248).
Do not forget that present process flight coaching with an incorrect visa is a violation of your immigration standing and will lead to your arrest and deportation.
It’s endorsed that you just contact the flight faculty that you just wish to endure coaching at with the intention to obtain extra detailed info relating to the applying course of; they may seemingly have the ability to help along with your utility.
What If I Already Have an ICAO License?
If you have already got an ICAO (Worldwide Civil Aviation Group) license (Personal Pilot degree or increased), you’ll be able to often acquire a U.S. (FAA) Personal Pilot Certificates primarily based in your overseas license while not having to go a further FAA sensible (flight) take a look at, if all FAA necessities below 14 CFR 61.75 are met.
The FAA will confirm the validity and forex of the overseas license with the relevant Nationwide Aviation Authority (extra generally known as a Civil Aviation Authority). Verification takes roughly 45 to 90 days to finish.
Your ICAO Business Pilot License can solely be immediately transformed to an FAA Personal Pilot License.
Business or ATP license conversions have considerably extra necessities.
You’ll find extra info on the conversion course of in our article on How you can Convert a Overseas Pilot License to an FAA Certificates.
Software Necessities Beneath the New TSA FTSP Rule (Efficient July 30, 2024)
The TSA not makes use of the legacy Class 1–4 construction that categorized FTSP purposes primarily based on plane weight or coaching kind. Now, the 2024 FTSP Ultimate Rule focuses on the kind of coaching and introduces a time-based Safety Menace Evaluation (STA) mannequin.
Who Wants an STA?
Beneath the brand new FTSP rule, non-U.S. residents have to acquire a passable Safety Menace Evaluation (STA) from the TSA earlier than starting flight coaching in america.
This requirement applies to these pursuing: an preliminary FAA certificates (like a Personal, Sport, or Leisure), an Instrument Score, a Multi-Engine Score, a Sort Score, or recurrent coaching to take care of or regain forex for any of the beforehand talked about.
Validity Interval and Notification
The STA ends in a Willpower of Eligibility that’s legitimate for as much as 5 years. Throughout this era, flight faculties should notify the TSA every time a lined coaching occasion takes place, regardless that the applicant doesn’t have to reapply.
Processing Charges
The TSA expenses a non-refundable processing payment for every STA utility (presently ~$125–$140), no matter the kind of coaching or faculty concerned.
A Step-By-Step Information to Acquiring Your Pilot Certificates
There’s loads of info regarding how you can acquire your pilot certificates in case you are a non-US citizen, and it may possibly rapidly develop into complicated. Beneath, we’ll define the steps wanted to make sure you can start coaching in the direction of an FAA certificates or score.
Step 1 – Examine Your Visa
Be sure to have an F-1 or M-1 visa. Lawful Everlasting Residents (LPRs) don’t want a visa. You have to a visa that can can help you endure flight coaching in america.
Contact the flight faculty you plan to endure coaching at or the Division of Homeland Safety in case you are uncertain in regards to the visa necessities for flight coaching.
Step 2 – Notify Your Flight College
You have to to inform the flight coaching supplier (flight faculty or particular person CFI) that you just intend to endure flight coaching with.
Beneath the brand new FTSP rule, all flight coaching suppliers should be registered with the TSA and have a chosen Safety Coordinator. They might want to full paperwork on their facet relating to your coaching request.
Step 3 – Register on the FTSP Web site
Go to the Flight Coaching Safety Program web site and create an account. You’ll obtain a person I.D. instantly after registering, and a password will probably be despatched through e mail.
If you have already got an account from the Flight Coaching Candidate Checks Program (FTCCP), you don’t want to create one other one.
After creating an account, you’ll be able to proceed the applying course of. Upon getting accomplished the applying, your coaching request standing will probably be obtainable on the AFSP candidate residence web page.
You’ll be able to solely cancel a coaching request whether it is in “draft” standing.
Step 4 – Look forward to Your Flight College to Verify
Your flight faculty should acknowledge the coaching request earlier than your utility is distributed to the TSA. Your flight faculty will obtain an e mail prompting them to verify the coaching request.
Step 5 – Pay the Price
After your flight faculty confirms your coaching request, you’ll obtain an e mail asking you to pay the processing payment through the FTSP web site. The processing payment is non-refundable, that means you’ll not obtain a refund of the processing payment in case your utility is denied.
Step 6 – Obtain Preliminary Approval
As soon as the TSA has obtained the fee, they may notify you and your flight faculty of your “Preliminary Approval.” This preliminary approval solely confirms that the TSA has efficiently obtained your utility and processing payment; it doesn’t grant you permission to obtain coaching.
The preliminary approval affirmation shouldn’t take greater than seven enterprise days. Contact the TSA assist desk in case you have not obtained preliminary approval inside seven days.
Step 7 – Submit Fingerprints
The subsequent step after receiving preliminary approval is submitting your fingerprints. Don’t submit fingerprints earlier than receiving an e mail with the topic “Fingerprint Directions”.
You wouldn’t have to resubmit your fingerprints in case you have submitted your fingerprints for a earlier AFSP coaching request.
At a world or home fingerprinting location, your fingerprints will probably be collected by or below the supervision of one of many following:
An entity authorised by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), together with airports that possess acceptable fingerprint assortment gear and personnel licensed to seize fingerprints akin to NFCC Licensed Fingerprint Technicians.
A State, Federal, or Native Regulation Enforcement Company of america.
You have to to discover a native or worldwide Fingerprint Assortment Company.
You’ll have to deliver a replica of the “Fingerprint Directions” e mail and your passport, residential alien card, or U.S. driver’s license.
Step 8 – Begin Your Flight Coaching!
Upon getting obtained your Willpower of Eligibility from TSA (it’s legitimate for as much as 5 years), your chosen flight coaching supplier must notify TSA of your particular coaching occasion.
After the supplier will get affirmation from TSA for that occasion (following any relevant ready interval), you’ll be able to start your coaching.
You need to stay eligible all through the period of your coaching interval, and your Willpower of Eligibility is legitimate for as much as 5 years, and through that point TSA continues to conducts recurrent vetting.
Additionally, you will need to take a photograph once you arrive at your flight faculty, and they’ll add this photograph to the FTSP web site.
Processing Occasions
The period of time the processing of your Safety Menace Evaluation (STA) utility takes might differ, however TSA often goals to course of full purposes inside 30 calendar days.
For particular flight coaching occasion notifications submitted by your supplier, there are ready intervals earlier than your coaching can begin. This may be 5 enterprise days after TSA acknowledgment in case you are eligible for expedited processing, or as much as 30 days in any other case.
Conclusion
Being authorised by the TSA to endure coaching could seem cumbersome, however it’s all part of an effort to maintain the skies secure. Take into account selecting a flight faculty with prior expertise in coaching worldwide college students, which can profit you tremendously throughout this course of.
