TSA Alien student program

Provider Registration

Go to www.flightschoolcandidates.gov/fsindex.html and create a new Provider account. Please choose Admin rather than Agent.
Fill in the required information. At the bottom of the page for your Flight Training Provider (School) Information, please note the following:

· Flight Training Provider Name: list your own name.
· FAA Certification or Satellite Designator: list your CFI number with the initials CFI after the number.

Submit your request. An email will be sent to the Orlando FSDO, and they will verify that the information is correct. We recommend contacting them directly as well. The contacts for our program at the Orlando FSDO are Bonnie Norton at bonnie.l.norton@faa.gov (407-812-7747) and Sharon Witman at Sharon.witman@faa.gov (407-812-7737). Either of these two contacts can validate your account. Once they have done so, you will receive an email with your user ID and password. You can then log onto your account, and your name will show up as a registered provider for your candidate.

Candidate Registration & Approval Process

Candidate goes to www.flightschoolcandidates.gov and creates a new Candidate account. They will receive an email with their user ID and password within an hour.
Candidate signs onto their account and enters the required information (the application is 9 steps).
After the candidate has filled out all 9 steps, they will go back to the Homepage (the first page they see after they sign in). They need to submit the training request from that page. Once the training request is submitted, you will receive an automated email from us stating that they wish to train with you. You then sign onto your account, view their training details, and then either accept or reject the training request (depending on if the information is correct).
Once you accept the training request, the candidate will receive an automated email with Payment Instructions. Once they pay, both you and the candidate receive an automated email that says Payment Received—Fingerprint Instructions.
The candidate can then go and have their fingerprints taken, taking the instructions email with them. The candidate only needs to do this once; if they submit training requests in the future, they will use the same account, and we will transfer their fingerprints for them to the new training request.
We begin reviewing the candidate’s information as soon as they have paid. If we need further information, or if there are corrections to be made, we will notify the candidate by email. Once everything is correct (and everything may be correct from the beginning), we will send you and the candidate an email that says Preliminary Approval. This means we have all the information we need except for fingerprints.
Fingerprints go to another location for processing before they are sent on to us. There is a phone number for the processing location in the Fingerprint Instructions email if you wish to check on the fingerprint status. Once the fingerprints are sent on to us, we will send you and the candidate an email with Fingerprint Receipt (for Categories 1 and 2). After we have finished processing the training request, we will send you and the candidate an email with Permission to Initiate Training (Category 3 training requests are sent this email as soon as their fingerprints are received). Please note that the training dates listed are just an estimate. Once a candidate receives permission to train, they have 180 days to begin. Once they begin training, they have 365 days in which to finish.
When the candidate has permission to train, you will take a photograph of the candidate and upload it. You can then send it to us through your account online.

Clarification for Training Request Categories: Since all training on aircraft with MTOW under 12,500 lbs. falls under Category 3, that is most likely the only Category you would ever need to deal with.

Category 1: Initial training on an aircraft with an MTOW equal to or more than 12,500 lbs. that does not fall under Category 2.

Category 2: Initial training on an aircraft with an MTOW equal to or more than 12,500 lbs. where the candidate falls under one of the following subtypes:

· Holds an airman’s certificate that is recognized by the FAA or appropriate U.S. military agency with a type rating for an aircraft over 12,500 lbs.

· Is employed by a foreign air carrier that operates under 14 CFR part 1546 (these are airlines that are Security Approved by the TSA).

· Has unescorted-access authority to a secured area of an airport under U.S.C. 44936(a)(1)(A)(ii), 49 CFR 1542.229 (people who are on the Master Crew List that is maintained by the TSA; those people with current SIDA badges do generally qualify).

· Is a flight crew member who as successfully completed a criminal history records check in accordance with 49 CFR 1544.230 (anyone who has submitted fingerprints specifically for a TSA program in the past).

Category 3: Training on an aircraft with an MTOW of less than 12,500 lbs.

· There are three training events for which the candidate must apply for AFSP approval for training in an aircraft with an MTOW of less than 12,500 lbs.: initial license, instrument rating, and multi-engine rating. Each of these training events requires a separate training request and fee payment. All other training events on an aircraft under 12,500 lbs. does not require registration.

· If a candidate is going to be training on a helicopter or seaplane under 12,500 lbs., then they only need to register if they do not hold the fixed-wing equivalent. For example, a person who is training on a helicopter who does not hold a private pilot license would need to register a training request for their Initial License, whereas a person who is gaining their instrument rating on a seaplane and already holds an instrument rating on their private license would not need to register for the additional training.

Category 4: Recurrent training on an aircraft with an MTOW equal to or more than 12,500 lbs.

Record-Keeping Requirements: This is a general outline for both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens.

FOR U.S. CITIZENS:

Proof of citizenship (one of the following):
1. U.S. passport;
2. Certified birth certificate with a photo ID;
3. Certified naturalization certificate with photo ID;
4. Certified certificate of U.S. citizenship;
5. Federal or military employee can use employer’s official proof of U.S. citizenship along with federal- or military-issued photo ID.
Copy of the photograph taken within one year of the candidate’s training

FOR NON-U.S. CITIZENS:

Either Department Of Defense letter specifically for the type of training being given along with military photo ID as approved by AFSP, or:

Copy of all documentation sent to the AFSP for the training request (such as current and valid passport, visa, green card, or airman’s certificate).
Copy of the following emails for the candidate:
1. Payment Received-Fingerprint Instructions;
2. Preliminary Approval;
3. Fingerprint Receipt (does not apply to Category 3);
4. Permission to Initiate Training.
Copy of the photograph taken within one year of the candidate’s training.

Any other emails or communications that contain information regarding the training request should probably be kept on file as well; however, the items outlined above are the only requirements. These must be kept on file for five years.

You need not require that RETURNING clients to bring their passports or birth certificates again because you keep copies of the documentation in their file (as long as passport remains current). When making copies, add the statement "true copy" and sign and date the copied document.

Official Documentation Regarding Our Program: Docket No. TSA-2004-19147

Interim Final Rule: http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf90/296887_web.pdf

This document outlines our program regulations until the Final Rule can be completed. It is lengthy and, honestly, quite painful to read in its entirety. Here is the location for some of the key information:

Recurrent Training: page 56328

Ground Training definition: page 56328

Preliminary Approval and I-20 issuance: page 56329

Determination of U.S. citizen: page 56332-56333

Recordkeeping requirements: page 56333

Expiration of waiting period for cat 1: page 36331 column 1

Expiration of waiting period for cat 2: page 36331 column 2

http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf90/300768_web.pdf Clarifies the following:

What is flight training?

What is recurrent training?

What records does a flight school have to maintain for U.S. citizens or nations?

Grandfathering clause