Singaporean self-sponsored CPL holders - where are you?

[cruisercruiser]

Flying in the US?

Originally Posted by cochise

... I went to FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach Florida and did my CPL/Multi/IR plus an instructors rating there. You have the option under the J1 visa in the states to continue there for a year as an instructor to build time if you get selected. hope this helps

Hi cochise,

I have explored the option of getting a CPL/IR in FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach Florida but was quite apprehensive since I am foreigner and will not have rights to work/live in the US. I understand that there is always the option of license conversion to comply with the local authorities anywhere, however I am also exploring ways to gain hours working as a foreigner overseas.

I wonder if you could shed some light on hiring policies in the US to alleviate my pessimism. let me explain:

I would like to quote an example. Friend “A” (fellow SIA reject) recently went to UK for the selection of the British Airways CitiExpress (BACX) approved pilot training program with Flight Training Europe. He passed all 4 phases of the selection and was one of the 12 out of the 300 odd applicants who were offered the scheme. After getting the formal letter of offer and quitting his job in Singapore to make preparations for the Initial UK JAR Class 1 medical, student VISA for training in Spain and arrangements of funding, he received a rude shock. He was told the offer made to him would be withdrawn if he does not have the legal right to work/live in the UK.

Thinking that applying a UK working permit is just an administrative procedure, he went about to look into how he could apply for one. To his disappointment, he was told by the UK Home office that only a UK based employer could do it for him. There is no provision of any kind for him to a apply on his own behalf. Although BACX requires him to have a working permit before the scheme could be offered to him, they are “not able” to apply one for him. He was devastated. He is in the process of looking for another job, and would probably be haunted by the cruel experience for the rest of his life.

The same applies for the australian option: I have already explored this option and have been visiting the Australian immigration website to research into the possibility. (For details please refer to http://www.immi.gov.au/). To those who are familiar with the immigration laws please correct me if I’m wrong. To work in Australia as a skilled person, he has a few choices, to apply for the temporary employer-sponsorship arrangement, or become a permanent resident where he can work after getting his VISA in the “general s killed migration” program or the “employer sponsored migration” program. All of these options would require him to satisfy a set of criteria before the permit would be granted. To a mechanical engineering graduate who has about 2 years of working experience like me, I found the permits quite difficult to get. It would be easier for a student who has studied for at least 2 years in an australian registered institution to apply for one ( because he would have more points to apply for the PR which allows him to work), or get an australian employer to get you into one of the “employer sponsored” program. As to whether the employer is willing to do it for the prospective foreigner employee, I am aware that there is an abundance of australian CPL/IR holders waiting around for any kind of bush jobs and employers would not go through the hassle of applying a work permit for a foreigner.

The above 2 examples kind of gave me the idea that taking a license in the US/Europe/Aus and working there isn't quite as straight forward as it seems because of work permits issues. And would getting the J1 visa in the states to continue there for a year as an instructor help much in clocking the required hours? 1 year seems to short a time to get the required hours.


Any replies or comments are welcomed.

cruiser.