Information for International Students
International students are most welcome in Washington International Flight Academy!
WIFA is currently approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to issue the I-20 form,
Which allows students to apply for an M-1 student visa.
Please read through, and follow all steps below in order to become a WIFA international student.
01. Contact Us
Call our office : +1 (240) 246-7529
email us : wifavisam1@learntoflydc.com
We will help you with the following preliminary steps:
a. Apply for an FAA medical certificate at medxpress.faa.gov
b. Apply for an FAA student certificate at iacra.faa.gov
c. Make an appointment with a certified FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
d. Apply for a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) clearance at fts.tsa.dhs.gov
02. Medical Certificate
Attend the appointment with the AME and get,
At a minimum Second Class Medical Certificate
03. Personal Information
Please submit the following documents/copies to this email: wifavisam1@learntoflydc.com
a) A current bank statement with at least $45,000.00
i) If you do not own the account, please submit a signed and dated sponsor letter
b) Your current passport
c) A filled out school application (you can click on 'school application' and it will take you to the digital document)
After submission of all necessary documents and copies, you will be invited for a phone interview. Upon acceptance, you will be required to make a deposit for $1,000.00.
A non-refundable/non-negotiable $1,000.00 deposit is required after a successful interview and acceptance to flight training at Washington International Flight Academy. This amount consists of $150.00, I-20 processing fee + $850.00, deposit towards your flight training expenses.
04. I-20 form
Once admission documents and financial requirements are met, we will then conduct a phone interview, either via whatsapp or by regular phone call, to determine your acceptance. After a successful phone interview, WIFA will create an initial SEVIS record, form I-20; This will be emailed to you. You will receive an I-20 form for yourself and for your
dependents, if applicable. Please be aware of any rules and regulations in regards to dependants. We will contact you if we are missing any information required for issuing the I-20 form.
Please monitor your email frequently in order to avoid delays.
05. SEVIS I-901 fee
Once you've received your I-20 initial, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee by visiting the following link: https://www.fmjfee.com.
Information on how to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee can be found here:
https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/i-901-sevis-fee-payment-tutorial.
You only need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee for yourself, not for your dependents.
Additional information may be found in this clip.
06. US Student visa
Make an appointment to apply for a student visa at the U.S. embassy/consulate in your home country.
You may find a link to the U.S. embassies/consulates on this website: https://www.usembassy.gov.
Please note that the U.S. embassy/consulate (not WIFA) has the authority to make the final decision on granting the M-1 student visa.
07. On the day of the visa interview
make sure to be at the embassy/consulate at least 20 minutes before your
scheduled appointment. You will need to bring the following documents:
a. The original I-20 form, signed by a WIFA official.
b. The financial documentation showing evidence of your ability to pay tuition and living expenses.
c. A completed application form DS-160 (usually filled electronically on the embassy/consulate site when
making the visa interview appointment. You must print the form and bring it with you to the interview). In some countries, you may be required to fill in forms DS-156 and DS-158, and possibly form DS-157.
Please consult the U.S. embassy/consulate website in your home country for additional details.
d. A passport valid for at least six months after the proposed date of entry into the U.S.
e. One 2-inch-by-2-inch photo. Instructions for obtaining an appropriate photo can be found here:
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/photos.html.
f. A receipt showing that you paid the SEVIS I-901 visa application fee.
** Should the consul approve the visa, you will usually be notified on the spot, and the passport will be mailed to you within a few days (depending on the local embassy/consulate regulations).
Congratulations!
You are now a US M-1 Visa holder, and ready to travel to the US.
When traveling, you must take the following documents:
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Your passport with the M-1 visa, and I-20 form
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The financial documentation showing evidence of ability to pay tuition and living expenses.
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A receipt showing that you paid the SEVIS I-901 visa application fee.
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Your prospective address in the U.S., if you have one. If you do not have an address, please note the WIFA student apartment address: 8100 Chelaberry Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20879.
Insurance
While the M-1 student visa does not have any insurance requirements set by the government, we strongly recommend that our international flight students have their own health insurance.
The recommended minimum coverage required Is:
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Medical benefits of at least $50,000.00 per accident or illness.
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Repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500.00.
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Expenses associated with medical evacuation in the amount of $10,000.00.\
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A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
As a reminder, the insurance policy should not contain any statements or clauses which preclude you, the student, from coverage due to the nature of this program, which is flight training. Please note that the insurance requirements, as established under 22 CFR 514.14(a), must be met for each exchange visitor and accompanying spouse or dependent.
Requirement for maintaining the visa status
M-1 visa students are required to maintain a full time schedule and check in 5 days a week. Other requirements may apply. Please consult a WIFA PDSO for additional information.
English proficiency
According to Federal Aviation Regulations, in order to obtain FAA pilots’ licenses and ratings you must be able to read, speak, write and understand the English language.
While there are no requirements for taking an English proficiency exam, in the meeting with your WIFA PDSO, you will be expected to demonstrate english fluency.