I don't really understand why there are continued references to the US American Legacy carriers-only US Citizens/Green Card holders are eligible to even apply let alone get accepted! That effectively excludes the majority of EK pilots. If you are eligible and haven't already gone either: it works for you here or you got knocked back. BTW the conditions at the 'top of the tree' at US Legacy carriers are very similar to those of BA, QF, AF, LH and KLM (which also require citizenship and in some cases language skills) and apply to a very small percentage of the pilots at those carriers. If you have seniority more than 15 years here then you are have a package worth approximately $US260k without Training allowance, school fees or Provident Fund included. Yes China pays significantly more without any seniority but we are all aware of why that is and that assumes that they will accept your passport.
That is the crux-Legacy conditions exist for a select view based on Nationality combined with Seniority. Most expat pilots don't fit the criteria to have ever been eligible for positions like that. For those that do factors such as timing in industry cycle or a desire to expand horizons and desire for more professional challenge have precluded those options anyway. In the end it's 'horses for courses'. For those from South America and Africa personal safety dictates this is a much better place to be-as said earlier Dubai traffic is one of the biggest threats but it pales into insignificance when you have to worry about civil unrest. Personally I completely understand the dramatic rise in Home Schooling in the US-if I could live there I doubt I would send my kids to a public school as it would be too stressful. Remember you get one life-its up to the individual to determine which balance works for themselves.