Commercial Pilot Training: Please advice

[Old Pete]

Not true. TSA does not care what visa you are on. They are more worried about your background and that sort of good stuff. USCIS is the one worried about your visa status and what you do with it. As long as you maintain 40 hours of work a week you can have the H1-B and learn to fly for "recreational" purposes.

In any case - this does not apply to the OP as he is not on H1-B.

Cheers

This is from the TSA AFSP website:
What happens if I take flight training without having the proper visa?
AFSP may cancel an applicant's flight training request if AFSP becomes aware the candidate is intending to take flight training without the appropriate immigration status. If you have questions about a cancelled request, you may call AFSP at (571) 227-4544.

NOTE: Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) of the United States do not require a visa.

From the AOPA:

Verify that you have an appropriate visa.

The AFSP will deny flight training requests from candidates who are present in the U.S. illegally or who do not have an appropriate visa for flight training (fees paid for denied applications will not be refunded).Moreover, taking flight training without an appropriate visa could be a violation of your immigration status and could result in your arrest and removal from the United States.

Note: Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) of the United States are not required to have a visa.

If you do not possess the correct visa, or if you have questions pertaining to your visa status or the appropriate visas for flight training, please contact your local Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services at 800/375-5283 or www.uscis.gov or the State Department Consular Affairs Office for assistance.

 

[myJetlogin]

Thank you everyone for your valuable advices. I visited a few of these schools and talked to the students personally for feedbacks and reviews. To be frank to the point the only way international students like me can accumulate more hours as an instructor overseas is if we are offered a job. Looking at the feedbacks from international students I visited most of them even were forced under lot of politics from management if they are offered a job just because they are passed outs of their school and their visas are at their disposal or they are not offered a job at the first place. Looking at the various packages and comparing the requirements of DGCA back home it looks like the package Aviator had was he best one due to the following points.

1. Like Bill Ervin had very neatly posted there are more multi engine hours in this package than any other I can log as PIC which is in a flight that is registered and recognized in India.

2. The college degree program that they offer provides an option to intern for one year as a flight instructor in their college (they are accredited by USCIS for offer F1 Visa to international students). This guarantees 500+ hours. And I also have an option of an additional year to continue working as a flight instructor. I can keep checking how the market is opening up back home and decide based on that.

3. They also have CRJ jet transition course with endorsements. It looks like are a few prospective plans to this program as well in the near future.

4. The instructors seem to be well experiences and friendly. Technically sound and catering to the student needs more importantly.

5. Of a few other well known schools I visited, I saw a few unhappy students, unhappy instructors and unhappy management not to mention their names. There is clear mis understanding some where which we all dont have time to analyze nor take a chance with our own careers.

I am sure I will find very well experienced and friendly instructors who cater to the needs to the students in some of the small training schools a few friends suggested in this posting. But I am not sure of my chances to get myself a job as a flight instructor (ofcourse I am not overseeing the fact that this is based on my performance and more over new students need to be available at this point in time where the industry is going through a slightly sluggish phase). So I think I will need a more backed up program that will guarantee more hours. But above all at this time of less openings I think it is essential that holding myself with more hours and a few jet transition endorsements will certainly help me with my resume.

Friends I am eagerly looking forward for your feedbacks please feel free to advice if you feel there is anything that I need to consider.

Thanks again for all your help.