Originally Posted by
LostWanderer
I believe it only became a sweeping thing in the last 4 weeks or so via USCIS for guys trying in the future, in layman's terms the airlines essentially have to prove by renewing Australians they won't be taking a job a US citizen can perform or be disadvantaging locals.
Given the current climate of unemployed airline pilots desperate for work in the US that is going to be a hard sell to make. He/she might have been lucky at whatever regional they are at to get paperwork done in time as the documents are usually issued up to 6 months before the actual renewal it's self, most probably well before COVID hit.
I'd dare say fire fighting chopper pilot is more specialty gig that doesn't have as many qualified guys as 121 pilots so that wouldn't fall under the same scrutiny.
I guess thy gives more credence about the 2016/17 guys being okay with timing. They’re already renewed with close to 18 months to run. Pretty sure things will turn around by then.
Little solace for the ones about to get the bullet. At least some are still okay and might see out the other side of this.