UK or USA

[sx_stavros]

Hi everyone

After trying my luck to a couple of sponsorship schemes around Europe I made the hard and quite risky decision to go self-sponsored. Before doing that, I would like to hear a second opinion from those of you that already looked into it and have a bit more experience than I do. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could help me out with these questions:

1. UK or USA?

2. If I choose the UK is there any way of accumulating some flight hours upon completion of training (ex. work as flight instructor like in the USA, etc) as it is well known that airlines nowadays ask for a minimum of 1000 hours.

Cheers and best of luck to everyone!:ok:

[DeltaT]

Assuming you have the legal right to live in UK and USA, I would pick USA as it has a much larger job market.
Sure with a JAR licence you have the whole EU, but by the time you cross out the ones with a language requirement other than English the odds stack in favour of USA.

[fabbe92]

How is it if you train in Europe. How big is the chance to get a job with a airline in the US after that? I mean lets say you fly in europe for Ryan for about 5-6 years and gather 4000 hours. Then how easy is it to get a job in the US? I heard that they require a degree in engineering or something like that, in the us. How much does it cost anyway to convert from JAA to FAA?

[ExCitation]

The conversion from JAA to FAA is straight forward, sitting a written test and a flight test, but the tricky thing is getting a work visa. Has anyone has experience of this? I heard it’s particularly hard for Brits to get work visa in the USA.

[fabbe92]

And how much does it cost to convert? Is it easier to train in the US and get the FAA there directly. Will this make it easier to get work VISA?

I mean if I convert to FAA, then my plan is to move to the states and live and work there.

[Boeing100]

I mean if I convert to FAA, then my plan is to move to the states and live and work there.My friend, many people want to get a green card, with the intention to work but a lot of them don't get it. that's just American policy.
I, myself have the US citizenship even though I live in Europe, and let me tell you, every time I go to the American embassy, they are lines and lines of people requesting visas for good reasons who get rejected.
I'm not saying this to discourage you in any way, but rather to give you a heads up. If you wish to work in the United States, then plan carefully.
I hope for you it will all work out.

[BelArgUSA]

Hola fabbe92 -
xxx
That you would hold a FAA pilot certificate or not does not matter for a US immigration visa. There are visas only available currently for doctors and nurses, and people of very high education in sciences and research, i.e. astrophysics professor...
xxx
Getting a visa is nearly impossible.
Visas for pilots...? Yes... existed before 1970. I got one in 1967...
Your best bet is the "green card lottery".
I met a young pilot CPL/IR from France who got a green card that way.
And a green card and a FAA licence does not mean you get a job.
xxx
Good luck to you. I would suggest you try Canada.
:ok:
Happy contrails