Australian pilots can work for US regionals.

[MartinCh]

There are plenty 135 ops pilots and instructors who'd get paycut and have to leave home, pay for crashpad and dead head to see family, so they don't bother with regionals, now that the ATP (or restricted ATP, if having av degree or ex-mil, courtesy of EmbryRidicule lobby) is mandatory for 121 ops incl SIC.

There's NEVER EVER shortage of pilots to fill spots in USA, just willing to put up with T&Cs incl pay, roster, base uncertainty etc.

I can only recommend young eagle eyed pilots after couple years in GA, to go ahead. DO MAKE SURE YOU MEET FAA ATP or very close to it, as the 50hrs twin totals can include the advanced sim now required for ATP written, which'd be part of the type rating with airline. That includes plenty night time (100), 500hrs FAA XC (EDIT: RESTRICTED ATP 200HRS XC AND THE 50NM WAYPOINT OK WITHOUT LANDING FOR ATP ONLY, aeroplane or 25nm in heli), 75hrs instrument of which 50 in flight, as mentioned some of the twin time at least. Then you'd stand better chance, as saying the old CAR 5 ATP is good for FAA ATP ain't good enough.

E3 visa for Australian citizens is great thing for specialised jobs where one can get experience in US more easily and I recommend SINGLE youngsters meeting the ATP issue hours to try it. If anything, with job offshore, you'd free up GA spot for next low-timer and down the chain of jobs, then when back in Oz, won't be aiming for less than Dash, ERJ or other twinjet.

WIN WIN WIN situation. The market's not gonna change in US too much, unless the free hand of economy forces airlines to pay living salary and those who have other jobs with better quality of life and unable to get paycut for couple years before they're back on same salary on bigger airliner or as Capt, don't care that much about 'stealing jobs' they don't really want.

Edited as block caps above. Just checked and since they can do R-ATP with airlines even without any total time reduction - ie 1500hrs TT, but not the usual 500hrs xc for ATP. That fishes them people not flying far away much - skydivers drops, instructing locally etc.