TSA and foreign pilots

[ThreeGreens]

I am scheduled for a type rating training. As a foreign pilot married to an american, here are the obstacles i am running into.

1) Register with TSA, by giving all kind of personal information. The site is so screwed up. I was forced to enter my visa datas, but there was no field for a simple guy married to an american. However it was possible to enter : religious visa, brother or sister of a religious visa holder, etc... etc....
2) Pay 130$.
3) Go to get fingerprinted at my own cost in just a few possible location (don't know how much that will cost).

I understand 9/11 changed a lot of things in this country. But why put a foreign airline pilot who's been working here for a while, who's been flying over DC and NY numerous times, who's been paying taxes in the US, at the same level as a student coming from anywhere else. No terrorist came from the country that i come from (europe).

I am greatly disapointed, because i have never felt discriminated in this country (except for one jerk that i flew with), and i thought this is what was amazing about the US. I did not apply for the citizenship yet (even though i could), becaue i do not take it lightly. It took my wife 4 years to adapt to the country where i am from. I respect the country that let me start a new life, and therefore will not take advantage of the system, just out of convenience.
I still need to get rid of my accent and get to know about baseball and football, before i can consider myself american.

I surely hope that in the future TSA will not take any further action against US pilots.

 

[Speedbird34]

calm down and follow the instructions. It is easier than it seems. Fingerprinting is less than fifty bucks.
cheers

 

[xdashdriver]

I am scheduled for a type rating training. As a foreign pilot married to an american, here are the obstacles i am running into.

1) Register with TSA, by giving all kind of personal information. The site is so screwed up. I was forced to enter my visa datas, but there was no field for a simple guy married to an american. However it was possible to enter : religious visa, brother or sister of a religious visa holder, etc... etc....

Sure there is. If you're married to an American and are here legally, you're most likely a Green Card Holder, more correctly known as a Legal Permanent Resident. You either got a visa to come to the US as an immigrant or you got a visa to come here as a non-immigrant and are either still a non-immigrant or you adjusted status to permanent resident. You need to give the details of all the visas you've ever held (I think within in the last 10 years). I started the process about 30 days before I became a U.S. Citizen. I came as a F-1 student and adjusted status to Permanent Resident. I canned the process once I became a U.S. Citizen (no need for it).

I didn't have any problem finding all the necessary info on the website. Additionally, they provide an email help-line to answer any questions you may have. They were very prompt and helpful in answering the questions I had.

Ray