How PRIA Affects Foreign Pilot Applicants for Regional Positions
Hello Everyone,
I know I have been posting on this forum for quite some time for my husband. Well, thanks to this community and the helpful advice you all have been providing, he has finally made it to some second-round technical interviews with some regionals. And now another confusing thing has popped up. PRIA. Based on my understanding and some language shared from a fellow poster here (thanks!, see quotes below), it appears that PRIA protocol includes contacting the applicant's current employer, even if said employer is a foreign carrier. My husband is a little concerned about this, not because of some secret violations or a desire to hide his work history with his company. His company is not 'fully' aware of his plans to immigrate to the US and he, rightfully so, does not want to start the procedure of informing them and quitting until he has some certainty and stability concerning his job prospects in the US.
"5.7 Use of Foreign Pilots.
5.7.1 PRIA Check. If you want to hire a pilot/applicant who has worked as a pilot for a foreign air carrier, you should request that individual’s PRIA records from the foreign carrier. In some cases, the foreign pilot may not have a U.S. driver’s license, so make a note of that in his or her file. If the foreign pilot does hold a U.S. driver’s license, you must query the NDR. Use of foreign pilots may vary from permanent employees to seasonal work in which the foreign pilots return to their own country during the off season. This could also include U.S. pilots who previously worked for a foreign air carrier(s)."
Has anyone gone through this process before, as a foreign pilot? Do regionals actually follow through with this PRIA check and contact the foreign carrier before providing an official 'job offer' to the applicant. My husband trained as a cadet in the US and just received his FAA ATP license in Florida, so he does have some background and I believe some records with the FAA in his airman file. But, of course, this is just for his training records. Any performance-related records would obviously come from his current employer. This is what it is and he will deal with it in the best way possible. Right now his game plan is to be open and honest at the end of his interviews and explain the situation with his current employer to the interviewer. Any advice beyond that would be much appreciated.
Take care everyone. Happy flying!