New FAA rules affecting how student pilots are certified took effect today. The new rules require all applicants to be vetted through the FAA’s Airmen Certification Branch, a process the FAA says will take about three weeks. Currently, the FAA completes the same vetting process, but not until after a student certificate has been issued, usually by an aviation medical examiner. Students will still need a certificate from an AME in addition to the new certificate, which will be in the form of a plastic card with no expiration date.
Source: avwebNew Student Pilot Rules Take Effect Today