Hi there
I can't really tell you how it is in the cockpit from my experience since I am still in training. However, people went though the same path that I am taking say that whatever we heard was happening a long time ago and it's very nice to work these days. And I have seen it.
I flew charter turbo props before I came here and I have a bit shy of 2000 hours.
I can't say never, but expats FOs' not going to get an upgrade. And for me, I think it's somewhere around 10 year mark but they told us that it's going to get a lot shorter, by the time I am ready for the upgrade. And he reason they gave us was the increase the number of he long haul fleet and expats FOs