Wow guys this is all extremely off-putting haha!

Check Airman: I believe our F/O hours are logged under PICUS (which if you guys don't use there is Pilot in command under supervision) so not sure if they'll be useful of if I need the full PIC hours...??

It's not looking good either way is it. On the off chance I'm even allowed to move there I probably won't get a job!

Dark-room-source: not sure if me being british will make things easier or more difficult than someone from Panama? But that doesn't sounds like a quick route haha, 6 years, wow!

Cheers again for all the info peeps!
Ben

With 12 million illegal Mexicans in the US what do you have to lose? Head to the US, get married and don't leave the country until you get your green card. If you are flexible and willing to work you will get a job. This thread might be an indication that supply is starting to catch up with demand. $5000 sign on bonus at Eagle - Airline Pilot Central Forums

My wife entered the US via Visa Waiver Program. No questions asked regarding intent to marry. If you plan on getting married and you require a visa, you will require a fiancé visa (which can take quite a while to obtain).

At most companies in the US, they only accept legitimate PIC time, no PICUS. When they are asking for PIC, they want to know who signed for the aircraft. They don't really care who was touching the controls or who was pretending to be commander, they only care about who signed off on the aircraft.

I came to the US via a fiance visa. I think it took about 5 months to get, with a huge amount of paperwork, some money & an interview. Once in the States you have a limited period in which to marry. After marriage you then have to apply to adjust your status to permanent resident ('green card'). That took a between 1.5 - 2 years. Possibly a bit over two years from marriage to green card. In the meantime you can apply & pay for a temporary work permit which must be renewed annually. You aren't permitted to leave the country - or, more accurately, can't without it affecting your permanent residency application - unless you apply & pay for an 'advance parole'. This lets you leave and, importantly, re-enter the US while your green card application is being processed. It too must be renewed annually.

One slight benefit, due to the time it took for the application to adjust status to be approved, was that my green card was issued for 10 years instead of the usual 2 years or so. As it turned out, being married for more than a certain qualifying period removes the tempory green card step.

Thanks again guys

One question that seems really important for me to ask is:
Does anyone know of a person who's migrated to the US and actually got work in aviation (or more importantly a cockpit) while waiting for a work permit, or even afterwards....???

I'm hearing a lot of good stuff about spouses and yourselves moving, but no idea if anyone's managed to fly afterwards? I suppose it's been too much of an investment for me to work in a bar or coffee shop for two years while my flying skills go down the drain.

Cheers again to everyone
Ben

You won't get to work anywhere without a work permit, except for labouring jobs with shady companies that don't ask too many questions. I didn't even try to work until it was legal for me to do so. If you get caught then you'll have screwed your green card application. As for the rest of your question, I work as a pilot. I currently fly SIC in a Beechjet, PIC in a Kingair 200 (both for their owners under Part 91 ie private ops), and a Navajo I manage under both Part 91 (owner) & Part 135 (charter/public transport). I've also flown Pt 135 in Kingair 90 & 200.



[/i]Later...[/i]

I should add that I found work, including flying work (Pt 135), with a temp. work permit while awaiting the outcome of my green card application

The waiting time for getting the green
Card change from the region that you apply from
California,Florida ect.will take much longer that
North Dakota,Wisconsin ect.
In the beginning most likely you will get a job in the regional
Pay is not the best but still you will fly nice airplanes
Embraer 190-175-135 CRJ.
You will have a bright future.
The hard part is stay married

Captain two-holds,
To answer your question, I came to the US about 21 years ago to hours build and ended up flight instructing for a few years and then getting an extended visa which enabled me to continue building time including turbo-prop time.
After getting married and applying for a change of status I had to wait about 6 months to get my first work permit. This enabled me to apply for more permanent positions and I ended up flying for a multi-national US corporation with operations in all continents. The actual green card took another 2 years or more to obtain. Still fly for the same company and starting later this year will bring a Gulfstream G650 on line.
If you end up moving to the US because of marriage be prepared to spend several years building time and/or working crummy jobs because unless you have quality turbine time the good jobs are few and far between.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
By the way which part of Wales do you live in ?

A Pandy
I live near Cardigan/Aberporth, which is on the west coast as you probably know.
I'm not against instructing, in fact i'd like to do it, but it doesn't sound like they'll sponsor or give a job to a non-permanent resident.....so going to the US asap would mean I'd never even get something half-decent, hmmmm. And I don't have the money to hour build, bugger. It sounds like being here for a few years would be the only way around it, not ideal though.

Cheers all

Some good info here.

I would like to pose another scenario that I am trying to make head or tails of.

I work and get paid outside of the US. I plan to keep this job, and just live in the US.

My wife and I would both hold 10 year tourist visas for the US that allow 6 month stays at a time.

Is it possible for us to base ourselves in the US, without the requirement for green cards? We just plan to rent a place for the next two years or so. Anybody with the answers on how we have to go about doing this, or if it is even possible?

Thanks in advance

doesn't matter how long is the visa,you're still a turist
you'r not legal to work in the U.S.
if you get the social secury card (you need it for everything)still
say "not valid for work".

I think that would not be a problem, as long as you both are leaving the country prior to the expiration of your visa. You are not working here so who cares if you are staying for a length of time as a tourist. Now, finding someone to rent you an apartment might be another issue.

Multiple entry 10 year visa B1/2
 

I obtained one of these visas 8 years ago when I was told that my multiple planned entries to the US for the ski season would pose a problem

Not once did it make my life easy going through immigration. I was taken for questioning EVERY TIME I entered the US and subjected to pointless interviews wanting to know my "real intentions" for entering the country. The same question was asked every time, "why didn't you get a visa waiver?" I would explain the reason and they just kept repeating the question over and over. You would think the embassy that issued the visa to me would know that this was going to happen.

I later found out that the B1/2 visa is primarily for visiting business people who aren't actually working in the US but have conferences or meetings to attend. If you just wanted to hang out in the US for a few months a year I would suggest contacting your local embassy to arrange for an interview to explain what you want to do. Otherwise you may end up with more trouble than what it's worth. Then again I tried that and look what it got me!

I'm not trying to sound demeaning or any such thing but, with those hours, you have a 'frozen' ATP which is quite unique to JAALand and something most Americans have never even heard of, let alone know how to interpret. An FAA ATP = 1500 hours, so it's probably worth establishing your qualifications a bit more accurately before setting off for the Wild West looking for a paid flying job (even if you do get the right to live and work in the US).

Ah, didn't see that part. As the holder of a JAA/EASA commercial license you'll have to get a FAA private certificate first (either one "based on" your JAA/EASA license or a "stand alone" one. Then you'll have to turn right around and get a FAA commercial. There's no provision to "convert" a foreign license to a FAA certificate at a level higher than private unless it's Canadian and unlike the ATP, there is no relief from having to hold a FAA private certificate before you apply for the commercial unless you have military flight time.

Pontius, you wouldn't happen to be the Matthew Pontius in Goodyear would you haha?? And that wasn't demeaning, I'm glad to be learning how difficult this is proving to be!!
Sounds like instructing would be the only thing I could do until I get the full 1500 hours? Or maybe not?! Anyway i've given up on the idea and would have to build time here first......
cheers marker inbound too, seems like a long way round huh!

You could instruct up to 500 hrs
Then banner tow or aerial surveying up to 1000hrs
Skydive pilot at around 700-1000 hrs
Part 135 PIC at 1200 hrs
Regional airlines at 1500 hours
YMMV

thanks zonda racer, so i need at least 500 (double what I currently have!) to start instructing?! That'll be some extremely expensive hour building huh!

No, what I was saying is that under 500 hours, instructing would be your only option (there are other options but very hard to come by). The more hours you have, the more options exist to find employment. Sorry if I wasn't clear before