Are the TSA requirements/ hoops to register and be able to train foreign students as horrific as they appear on the web site?
I have a woman who is not a US Citizen who wants to learn to fly and I just looked at the TSA website regarding this - It's rather involved at first glance!
I can tell you from the student side (Canadian citizen), it's a pain-in-the-backside, but not really that severe.
First off, the CFI needs to register on the TSA website. Then the student submits a training request, naming the CFI or flight school. The CFI/School then validates that the student will be training with them for the specified rating. Then the student pays TSA. TSA then requests fingerprints. Student goes to local PD and has fingerprints done and sent to TSA (note here, student may not touch the fingerprints after taken, the PD must send them in). When TSA receives prints, they issue an e-mail to student and CFI/school saying they have permission to begin training.
At that point, the clock is ticking. Training must commence within 6 months, and permission ends in 1 year (not from start of training, but from when permission is received). If you blow past the one year, the steps are the same, except no fingerprints are required.
Remember this is for specific training events:
1) Initial license: either Recreational, Sport, or Private
2) Instrument
3) ME
It is not for commercial, flight reviews, or any of those things. If the student finishes their Sport and decides to move on the Private, that should not trigger another AFSP application.
Good overview here:
http://www.aopa.org/tsa_rule/