Close counts
CP Dude and Mach
Actually you must still be relief FO qual to take a N. American base. You can take European or Aus NZ without. Don't know the logic behind that one. Except in N.America the freighter FOs can transfer with or without the relief qualif. So time to get that done is 3-4 year SO, 2-3 years FO successful Relief upgrade and then on to the base.
That takes seven years from now and who knows what the system will be like then. The plan is to have all N. American using 777s which may or may not speed up the process. Also the proposed DEFO universal (will fly both Freight and pax on reduced scale) will dramatically change the transfer from Hong Kong as the plan is to hire directly on to the N. American bases eventually (the DEFO pax will start in Aus )
Also not too many SOs are allowed to transfer onto the freighter fleet. I know alot who have asked and not many who are moved over to FO.
The good news is there will be a need for alot more based FOs so it should all even out. There are plans for N. American expansion.
So hard to answer your question as we are standing by for new messages ourselves !!
Cheers