It was interesting to read the response from the Canadian chap who had a fast track to the US certificates. I had UK, NZ, Aus, SIN, and Taiwan ATP(L)s when I tried to get my US certificates, and I was told I had to do the full training, including ground school and test, medical, flight check etc just the same as any newbie. I was given credit for the hours I had flown, and was allowed to apply for the certificate based on my foreign licenses instead of having an authorization by a US CFI and proof of study. If I wanted my ratings, I had to do the full ground school and flight test on each type. Only ground school conducted at a US recognized facility would be allowed (this was at Boeing, for example, or at a foreign establishment if a FAA inspector attended to certify it).
When I turned up for my flight test the DPE refused my only current license (Taiwan) because Taiwan at the time was not a member of ICAO. He did accept my UK ATPL even though it was expired, because nothing in the regulations said it had to be current.
I could not afford the training for the ratings, so I had a bare ATP. I had to do it all again a year later when I wanted to add single engine!
Everywhere else I had gone, the countries followed ICAO. In that situation, all licences issued by an ICAO country are recognised by any other ICAO country. All that is required is a medical, a law exam and a flight check. When I got my UK licence they charged me 100 pounds per rating, so I only paid for what I needed (B737, B757). However there were no special checks required for these ratings.
In countries that did not have their own licencing, I flew on validations, which meant that I had to keep the original licence current in order to maintain my validation. This is not the same as issuing a full licence. The US does this if you want to fly a US-registered airplane without a US license.
I remember complaining to the US authorities that since they were members of ICAO they had to follow ICAO rules. This got me nowhere as you could imagine.
Add to this the complications of the security rules and TSA clearances. For an initial issue of any US certificate you have to now do a full TSA clearance that costs $130 non-refundable and a mine-field of procedures. It applies even if you do not try to get it done in the US. If you do want to go to the US to do it, you need a flight school to endorse the application, get a student visa, and complete it within 12 months.
At least I had the option of doing all my training and checking piece-meal during visits or layovers.
Hence the comment starting this thread that I found it funny to see the US offended for the behaviour of the EU, since that is what they have been doing all along.
Of course I might not be aware of changes to policy; the US might have now accepted the rules according to ICAO and are following them, which would justify their complaint about the EU policy. Has anyone done a US license lately? (not a Canadian apparently, since they have a special relationship. I wonder if a Mexican gets the same deal?).