TSA Flight Training Security Program: A Guide for F-1 Students

If you're not a US citizen, you need approval through the TSA Flight Training Security Program (FTSP) before you start flight training. That includes F-1 students and green-card holders. The approval is called a Determination of Eligibility, and 49 CFR 1552.31 requires it before flight training starts. A discovery flight and ground school don't count as flight training, so you can do both while you wait.

Merlin Flight Training is a Part 61 flight school at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE), and we're registered with TSA as a flight training provider. We help you with the FTSP application and arrange your fingerprinting. This guide covers who needs approval, what changed in 2024, the steps, timing and costs, plus advice for F-1 students already studying in Philadelphia.

Who needs TSA approval for flight training?

Under 49 CFR 1552.3, a "candidate" is anyone who isn't a US citizen or US national and applies for flight training. So if you're not a US citizen, TSA comes first, whether you're on a student visa or hold a green card. TSA's 2024 final rule confirms that lawful permanent residents still have to complete the security threat assessment, although they can qualify for faster processing of their training notices (see step 6 below).

US citizens don't apply to TSA. Instead, before flight training starts we must see government-issued proof of citizenship (49 CFR 1552.7). TSA posts the list of acceptable documents on the FTSP Portal. Common examples are an unexpired US passport, or a birth certificate plus a government photo ID.

Under 1552.3, "flight training" means instruction in an airplane, helicopter or simulator (the rule says fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft) toward a new skill, certificate or type rating, or to maintain a certificate or rating. Two exclusions matter here:

• Ground training, such as ground school.
• Discovery flights that demonstrate a school's training program to a prospective student. The rule groups these under "demonstration flights for marketing purposes" and leaves them out of its definition of flight training. At Merlin, a discovery flight is still a real introductory Part 61 flight lesson with one of our instructors; it just doesn't need TSA approval.

TSA also requires that you're lawfully in the US and within your authorized period of stay (49 CFR 1552.35).

What changed in 2024?

Older guides talk about the "Alien Flight Student Program," a site called flightschoolcandidates.gov, and training "categories." That's out of date. TSA's final rule took effect on July 30, 2024. Here's what changed:

• New name. It's now the Flight Training Security Program, and applications go through the FTSP Portal.
• No more categories. The four training categories based on aircraft weight are gone.
• One assessment covers more. A Determination of Eligibility now lasts up to 5 years, and it ends sooner if your permission to stay in the US ends first (1552.31(d)). If your stay is extended, you can submit updated documents to extend it, up to 5 years total. Later training, such as another certificate or rating, still needs a new training notice from your school before it starts (with the waiting period in step 6), but not a new assessment while yours is valid.
• Fingerprints less often. Under the final rule, you pay for an assessment and submit fingerprints once every 5 years, unless TSA tells you otherwise.
• A time-based fee. One fee for the assessment replaced the old per-training-event fees. The 2024 rule set the standard fee at $140, but TSA can change its fees by notice and posts the current amount on the FTSP Portal (1552.39), so check there. TSA doesn't refund fees unless they were paid in error.

The TSA Flight Training Security Program, step by step

You handle your TSA application, we handle the school's side, and we help you along the way.

1. Contact us first. Tell us your country of citizenship and the training you want before you pay any fees, since TSA fees aren't refundable. We'll tell you what your situation requires.
2. Talk to your DSO. If you're on an F-1 visa, your school's Designated School Official is the right person for questions about your status. We don't give immigration advice.
3. Open an FTSP Portal account and apply. You submit your personal details, identity documents and the fee through the portal (1552.17, 1552.31(b)).
4. Get your FTSP fingerprints taken. TSA doesn't accept fingerprints directly from applicants; it works with fingerprinting vendors in the US and abroad (final rule). We help you arrange the appointment. Your prints feed an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check, which runs alongside identity, database and immigration checks (1552.31(c)).
5. TSA reviews your application. Under the rule, TSA processes complete applications within 30 days. Missing documents or fingerprints mean your application isn't complete yet (1552.31(e)).
6. We notify TSA of your training. We file a notice of your planned training through the portal. Flight lessons can begin once you hold your Determination of Eligibility and more than 30 days have passed since TSA acknowledged our notice. If TSA confirms you qualify for expedited processing, which green-card holders can with proof of status, the wait is more than 5 business days (1552.51).
7. We take your photo when you arrive. The rule requires us to photograph you when you arrive for training and upload it to the portal within 5 business days.

How far ahead should you plan?

Start your TSA application at least 60 days before you want to begin flight lessons. That's our standard advice, because the steps add up: booking a fingerprint appointment, gathering documents, up to 30 days of TSA processing, and the waiting period after our training notice. TSA also recommends that schools file the training notice at least 30 days before the planned start, even for expedited candidates (final rule).

We can't promise an approval date. TSA controls the review, and anything missing from your application adds time.

Use the wait well. Ground training isn't flight training under the rule, so you can start ground school (ask us when our next evening course begins), study for the FAA knowledge test, and get your FAA medical.

What documents should you gather?

The FTSP Portal tells you what TSA needs for the application itself. For training with us, plan to have:

• A passport that stays valid for your whole training
• A passport-style photo
• A letter confirming the training you're requesting (we provide it)
• An FAA medical certificate, usually third class for a private pilot certificate
• Proof of English proficiency at ICAO Level 4 (ask us what we accept)
• Your visa and other immigration paperwork

The English requirement comes from the FAA, not TSA. Student pilots must be able to read, speak, write and understand English (14 CFR 61.83), and the FAA's aviation English standard is ICAO Operational Level 4 at minimum (AC 60-28B). KPNE has a control tower, so clear radio English matters early in training.

Flight training on an F-1 visa in Philadelphia

If you're studying at a Philadelphia-area university, here's how we suggest approaching international student flight training in Philadelphia:

• Try a discovery flight first. A discovery flight is an introductory Part 61 flight lesson with one of our FAA-certificated flight instructors, and you take the controls with your instructor guiding you. It doesn't need TSA approval or immigration documents, so you can find out whether flying suits you before you apply.
• Check with your DSO before you apply. F-1 students must keep a full course of study, and Study in the States says your DSO should be your first stop for questions about the legal requirements of your stay. Ask how flight training fits with your status. Visa questions depend on why you're training: career flight training generally requires an M-1 visa from an SEVP-certified school, so tell your DSO and us your goals, and we'll talk through your case before you apply.
• Train around your classes. We have afternoon, evening and weekend availability, and you pick lesson times in our scheduling calendar.
• Expect months, not weeks. With at least two lessons a week, a consistent schedule, no long gaps and regular study, finishing a private pilot certificate in about seven months is realistic. Everyone progresses at a different pace, so we can't guarantee a completion date. Plan around exams and school breaks to avoid long gaps, and see our private pilot timeline.
• Pay in blocks, not all at once. Training is prepaid in blocks, starting with the 10-hour block at $2,600 (as of October 2026; see training options). International students pay the same rates as US students.
• Plan on a regular FAA medical. BasicMed won't work if you've never held an FAA medical: it requires a US driver's license and an FAA medical certificate held at some point after July 14, 2006 (14 CFR 61.23(c)(3)). You'll need at least a third-class medical from an aviation medical examiner before you fly solo, and we help you arrange it.

You must be at least 16 to enroll.

What will it cost?

Here's what to budget beyond your lessons, as of October 2026:

• TSA and fingerprinting: about $200, paid separately from training. TSA sets its fee, and we confirm the exact amounts when you apply.
• FAA medical: $100–$200, set by the aviation medical examiner.
• If you're coming from abroad: any visa fee, plus travel.

For the training itself, our current estimate for a private pilot certificate is about $16,625–$21,414, based on 55–65 flight hours (the FAA minimum is 40). Your total depends on your pace, the weather and how often you fly, so we can't guarantee it. See training options for current hourly rates and block options, or ask us for an itemized estimate.

Prepaid blocks aren't refundable, but any unused balance stays on your account as credit for future flying. Since flight lessons can't start until TSA approves you, ask us about timing before you buy a block.

Next steps

• Tell us your country of citizenship and your training goals through our international students page, before you pay any fees.
• Book a discovery flight at KPNE. No TSA approval needed.
• Schedule a free phone consultation to talk through timing and costs.
• Read our private pilot timeline to see how training is paced.