I'm a 19-year-old from the UK with a lifelong dream of becoming a commercial pilot. Unfortunately, I've hit a major roadblock—I can't get my CAA Class 1 medical due to eyesight restrictions. This has been a tough pill to swallow, but instead, I've been looking into opportunities outside the UK, and I've recently passed the FAA Class 1 medical, which is fantastic news because it opens a lot of doors for commercial flight in the United States.
However, there's one issue: residency. I’m not keen on spending tens of thousands of dollars on FAA ATPL training without a clear path to staying in the US afterward. From what I understand, no airline is likely to hire a FO on a temporary visa, especially when there's a risk that once the visa expires, I might have to leave the country, and hence the job.
So, I’m exploring alternative routes. One idea I’ve had is to go to the US on a student visa to study something unrelated to aviation—essentially to get a US-recognized qualification and establish a good reputation in the country. I’m aware that the US isn’t particularly welcoming to uneducated immigrants, and from what I’ve gathered, you can’t apply for a visa solely as "pilot". My thought process is that by obtaining a US-certified degree (like "mechanical engineering" or "registered nurse"), I could potentially use that qualification to apply for a green card. Once I’m a legal resident, I could then pursue my aviation career MUCH more freely.
My questions are:
- Is this a viable plan? Would getting a degree or qualification in something unrelated help me in the long run?
- What are the fastest and most cost-effective degree options that would be recognized for a green card application?
- Has anyone here gone through a similar process, or know of someone who has? If so, what path did you/they take?
I know this is a bit of an open-ended and probably stubborn question, but I’m feeling a bit stuck and unsure of what options I have left. I don’t have any descent/ancestry citizenship options to fall back on either.
If anyone could answer any of the above or point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it!
bakerin