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Is a student visa needed to sit an FAA written test only (no flight training)

What kind of course signoff one needs to do the IFP/CPL theory exams that are required to get an FAA IR/CPL issued in Europe?
I guess you need to show ID to make sure you are the person taking the test, that has nothing to do with srudents visa

I want to take this route in February. I understand that you don´t need an endorsement to take the knowledge test (IEP). You will get an endorsement AFTER your IPC, that you should be able to do with a CFII, not necessarily an examiner. This is definitely not training and you should be fine without visa and TSA check. You don´t have to do it going via the 61.75 route either.

With my written test passed and the IPC endorsement I plan on walking to the most convenient FSDO, getting IDd and walking out with a fresh FAA IR. The only gotcha I´ll have to work on is the 50hrs instrument time after initial issue of the IR. Without that you´ll have to do acclimatization flying in the US, and this could potentially be training in the context of immigration and TSA background checks. I do have the 50hrs, but reading this AC I understand they really want to see 50hrs IMC / simulated IMC. I will have to fly a bit more to achieve these until then.
Does anybody fancy a safety pilot and doesn´t need to log PIC time? :)

Last Edited by Caba at 07 Oct 17:35
EDFE, EDFZ, KMYF, Germany

I know any number of FAA instructors who are not affiliated with any school, for example any instructor who has ever given me a flight review. Whether an instructor would sign somebody off as meeting the prerequisites for taking a written exam without having instructed an individual would be up to them.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 07 Oct 17:38

Caba wrote:

I understand that you don´t need an endorsement to take the knowledge test (IEP)

That’s not correct. You need one, as I wrote above.

172driver wrote:

That’s not correct. You need one, as I wrote above.

No, there is no need for an instructor endorsement for the IEP, IFP, or ICP. This is stated clearly on p 11 of the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix.

Nor is it necessary to demonstrate “satisfactory knowledge of the subject areas in which the applicant was deficient on the airman knowledge test” prior to taking the practical test if the equivalent rating is held on an ICAO Annex 1-compliant licence. 14 CFR 61.39(e)(1).

London, United Kingdom

I wonder when this changed, because when I sat my FAA CPL theory exam, Arizona, 2006, I had to get signed off by a CFI to sit it. It was just a formality; no discussion, no revision, no training. $90

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Each of the exams mentioned by @Qalupalik are for instrument ratings, by pilots already holding various foreign instrument ratings. Here is the testing matrix to which he refers, and which specifies those FAA exams requiring an instructor endorsement.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 07 Oct 18:47

@172/Silvaire:

I will definitely go to SoCal in February and try my luck. I will have guidance from somebody I know who will try it before me in December, and paperwork/verification has already been initiated. I´ll be around flying from MYF, maybe we should do a small West Coast fly-in?

Last Edited by Caba at 07 Oct 21:11
EDFE, EDFZ, KMYF, Germany

Caba wrote:

I´ll be around flying from MYF, maybe we should do a small West Coast fly-in?

Sure, get in touch once you’re over here!

Peter wrote:

I wonder when this changed, because when I sat my FAA CPL theory exam, Arizona, 2006, I had to get signed off by a CFI to sit it. It was just a formality; no discussion, no revision, no training. $90

The difference, as I understand it, is that @Caba apparently already holds the EASA IR. I had overlooked that in my comments, so stand corrected. If you do your initial IR written in the US, then you do need the endorsement, which I believe applied to you @Peter.

In the larger context of this thread it may also be of value to point out that any freelance instructor wishing to instruct a foreign (in the sense of US immigration) student needs to register with the TSA and get approval. We had a few such cases in our club.

In the larger context of this thread it may also be of value to point out that any freelance instructor wishing to instruct a foreign (in the sense of US immigration) student needs to register with the TSA and get approval.

Apart from TSA / fingerprinting etc.. my research revealed that a student can’t receive instruction without the applicable visa.

always learning
LO__, Austria
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