Valid points some of you guys out there.
Firstly, many expats have tried getting into Canada with no success. My friend got a job there as a truck driver and for now gave up flying as his application as a pilot was denied.
Yes there is a pilot shortage, because people are not willing to work for peanuts, and collect food stamps as professionals. The Regionals need to wake up and pay market related salaries. Skywest offered my wife $22/hr before taxes as FO on the CRJ. They took too long to get off their asses and provide a start date. Of course she wanted the experience, but after doing the math, we couldnt survive on that crap salary. And I'm not using my savings to subsidize a crap salary from a successful airline because the f... beancounters call the shots.
We are both 4000 hour plus pilots with ATP's flying turboprops in Africa and pay scales are better here. Life in Africa is tough as well.
Would love to live in the USA with my wife, but the airlines need to step up to the plate. A 1500 ATP FO for P121 and 135 at less than 25K per year, what an insult!
Corporate pays better, if you can can get it, and you know the right person.