Got my FAA License -> There is a question in here

Chrisgoesflying

Chrisgoesflying

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Chrisgoesflying
I just received my FAA license. I've had my Canadian license for a few years but I originally started flight training in Texas so it never really felt complete until I also get my FAA license. That has finally happened now. Still weird to me that there is no photo on the FAA license. In Canada my license has a photo of me, just like a driver's license would, but that's whatever.

My question: So, my FAA (and Canadian for that matter) license says that my nationality is Germany, which is true as of right now, but won't be true in a few months as I become a Canadian citizen. Do I have to let the FAA (and TC) know about this and they'll have to issue me a new license that reflects my new nationality or is this not that important? Anyone on here have any experience with this? If I do have to let them know and they will have to send a new one, can I keep flying with the license that says I'm German until I get the new document that says I'm Canadian? Would be a real bummer if I'm grounded for months having to wait for a new license just because my citizenship changed - I'm still the same person at the end of the day lol.
 
61.13, 61.59, 61.77 these are the only sections, that I can find really fast, that relate to nationality. Anyone can get an FAA cert. 61.59 refers to fraudulent or intent, I don't think this applies to you.

61.77 refers to non-US citizen renting a US aircraft. But it's mostly for commercial purposes, not GA.

Since you already have the FAA cert, then 49 CFR 1552 doesn't apply.

I just looked at mine, nowhere does it have citizenship or nationality.

I'd find an aviation lawyer and ask. Mark? You got any ideas?

Candidly, I can't find anything anywhere that refers to nationality.
 
My certificate indicates Nationality USA in a line between address and date of birth.

I searched Part 61 and didn’t find anything relevant for keywords foreign, citizen or nationality.

Part 61 does have instructions for 61.25 Change of name and 61.60 Change of address. That’s the closest that I found. Nothing for changing other things listed on a certificate such as weight, hair color, sex.

Ask a FSDO, maybe? Or do nothing?
 
Nationality/Citizenship Change

To obtain a new airman certificate that reflects a nationality or citizenship change, you must appear at an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for positive identification. You must present to an FAA Inspector a naturalization document or other legal document that verifies the nationality or citizenship change.

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/name_change
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Herzlichen Glückwunsch. Keine Ahnung.
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Danke, but not quite yet. Still waiting for the citizenship ceremony but everything else is done, including the daunting citizenship test lol...

FPK1 said:
Nationality/Citizenship Change

To obtain a new airman certificate that reflects a nationality or citizenship change, you must appear at an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for positive identification. You must present to an FAA Inspector a naturalization document or other legal document that verifies the nationality or citizenship change.

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/name_change
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Thanks, but the question remains, do I have to change the citizenship on my document and if so, can I temporarily fly with the document that has the wrong citizenship on my certificate until I get the new one reflecting my new citizenship? I know I would probably get one of these paper temporary certificates again, but even then, I'd have to go to the FSDO and that's a three hour flight from Canada I would have to make with the wrong citizenship on my certificate.
 
FPK1 said:
Nationality/Citizenship Change

To obtain a new airman certificate that reflects a nationality or citizenship change, you must appear at an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for positive identification. You must present to an FAA Inspector a naturalization document or other legal document that verifies the nationality or citizenship change.

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/name_change
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Interesting….a rule or something not in the FARs….
 
Note it states above "To obtain a new airman certificate that reflects a nationality or citizenship change, you must appear at an FAA Flight Standards District Office..." Sounds optional, I'd call your local FSDO.

No one above has been able to find a section that requires you to change it... But you might call your local FSDO.

I believe it would be unreasonable for them to pull your license just to change your nationality. Suggest you call you local FSDO

Let us know here what you discovered?
 
murphey said:
Interesting….a rule or something not in the FARs….
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Well, there is 61.13 which allows the FAA to deny certificates to non-citizens. Plus, the FARs are not the only rules that apply to aviation. For example, I think I have have heard something or another about flying and vetting foreign citizens over the past few years. :dunno:
 
FPK1 said:
Note it states above "To obtain a new airman certificate that reflects a nationality or citizenship change, you must appear at an FAA Flight Standards District Office..." Sounds optional, I'd call your local FSDO.

No one above has been able to find a section that requires you to change it... But you might call your local FSDO.

I believe it would be unreasonable for them to pull your license just to change your nationality. Suggest you call you local FSDO

Let us know here what you discovered?
Click to expand...
One place where I know it happens is when you obtain a new airman certificate. One of the IACRA questions is citizenship. So if you have a private certificate as a French citizen and apply for your instrument rating as a German, you would go through the process of verification with the FSDO.

No, I have never checked for specific regulatory or statutory authority for the process, nor for anything establishing an affirmative duty to report a change otherwise.
 
@Chrisgoesflying , I have no clue if you can do this, but when I had to change my name after I got married, I was able to get a video appointment with the FSDO, as the closest office was 5 hours away. You may not be able to do that, but you might consider asking if a video appointment is a possibility. When I did that, they sent me an email with my new temporary certificate before the meeting was over, and the new one arrived in the mail a few weeks later, so there was no "lapse" of my certificate.
 
Hey ChrisCanuck, you comment on the lack of photo on the FAA certificate...just want to make sure you know you have to always carry an acceptable photo ID with you when you fly here. Drivers lic, passport etc.

Dave ex-canuck. Also Texas
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
I just received my FAA license. I've had my Canadian license for a few years but I originally started flight training in Texas so it never really felt complete until I also get my FAA license. That has finally happened now. Still weird to me that there is no photo on the FAA license. In Canada my license has a photo of me, just like a driver's license would, but that's whatever.

My question: So, my FAA (and Canadian for that matter) license says that my nationality is Germany, which is true as of right now, but won't be true in a few months as I become a Canadian citizen. Do I have to let the FAA (and TC) know about this and they'll have to issue me a new license that reflects my new nationality or is this not that important? Anyone on here have any experience with this? If I do have to let them know and they will have to send a new one, can I keep flying with the license that says I'm German until I get the new document that says I'm Canadian? Would be a real bummer if I'm grounded for months having to wait for a new license just because my citizenship changed - I'm still the same person at the end of the day lol.
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I was in a similar situation to yours. My original FAA certificate had my nationality as Canadian. It remained that way even after I became a naturalized US citizen. It had zero impact on anything. Years later I ran into an FAA inspector at my local airport, and I asked him if that mattered. He said I should really get that changed. He agreed to do the paperwork on the spot, and even waited until I ran home to get my passport and naturalization certificates. I kept my old certificate until the new one came in the mail. That was the easiest transaction I had ever done with the FAA.
 
Thanks for all the responses. So, it seems like calling the FSDO and the Canadian equivalent of that is my best bet to see what they say. I try to keep communication with them to a minimum but I guess sometimes it's unavoidable lol.

Mongoose Aviator said:
Will you remain a German citizen or will that be given up or renounced and you would be only a Canadian citizen? Dual citizenship?
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I will lose my Germany citizenship as soon as I become Canadian. Germany doesn't allow for dual citizenship unless one has a really good reason to keep their German citizenship. I simply don't have a good reason, considering I lived more than half of my life outside of Germany.

Let'sgoflying! said:
just want to make sure you know you have to always carry an acceptable photo ID with you when you fly here.
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I didn't know that so thanks. At the same time, I wouldn't be able to fly here without a photo ID in the first place. My FAA license is Foreign based (based on my Canadian one) and it states I must be in possession of my Canadian license in addition to the FAA license at all times and since my Canadian license has a photo, I automatically fulfill the photo ID requirement. Obviously, this only applies if I fly N-registered aircraft in the U.S. When flying my C-registered aircraft in the U.S. and get ramp checked, I'd just show my Canadian license anyways.
 
If you do go to a FSDO to get your citizenship straightened out, don't call it a license or licence since it's a pilot certificate. I made the mistake of going to the FSDO to get my ground instructor certificate and made the mistake of calling it a license after which I received a 5 minute harangue from the FSDO person on the difference between a certificate and a license. I am so grateful that he set me straight and surely prevented me from crashing in flames thinking I was a licensed ground instructor instead of a certificated ground instructor. Tomorrow's lesson will be on flight reviews, are they biannual or biennual?
 
Interesting that Canada accepts new citizens who plan to carry a license instead of a licence. ;)
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Haha. My spelling (and pronunciation) is mostly U.S. as I went to high school and college stateside.
 
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Witmo said:
don't call it a license or licence since it's a pilot certificate.
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I guess that's what makes me Canadian? I'm almost sure we call it a license (or licence). Don't you also abbreviate it with PPL (Private Pilot License) or is the U.S. abbreviation PPC (Private Pilot Certificate)?
 
In true English fashion, it's abbreviated PPL and pronounced Private Pilot Certificate. :D ;)
 
I'm surprised they let you keep both licenses/certificates/pieces of plastic.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Hey ChrisCanuck, you comment on the lack of photo on the FAA certificate...just want to make sure you know you have to always carry an acceptable photo ID with you when you fly here. Drivers lic, passport etc.

Dave ex-canuck. Also Texas
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And it would probably blow the FAA inspector's head off if he was ramp checked and used his Canadian license (government issued) as his photo ID to back up his US license.
 
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