Free ICUS??? How is it free? ICUS should be considered a training cost that an employer is willing to undertake when they take on new staff.
I hope you're not an employer of pilots Squawk7700! You sound like you'd be a great person to work for!
Not blowing my own trumpet, but in 3 of the 4 GA jobs I've had (including 2 twin jobs) I had no time on type before I started. Nor did I pay for any endorsements, however I did make gentlemans agreements (and stuck by them) to providea at least a suitable return of service before looking to move on. Good operators are certainly not mythical.