I am from Aus. I have been working in the US for over ten years now. I would welcome anybody who could do the job, however I am in Alaska and I require Alaskan flight time for the PICs. There are places in the world that have similar weather, terrain, size and lack of facilities but nowhere I know of that has all of these at the same time (maybe Siberia or Northern Canada). When I send a single pilot twin turbine pilot out to the Western villages, the North Slope or to the Aleutians, especially in the middle of the winter when any error could cause extremely serious problems (need I explain?) I have to know he has the skills and experience to handle it without assistance. More importantly, he or she should know when to pull the plug.
I can use SIC pilots but we don't generally work more than 300 hours in a year so there would be no chance of advancement and I always recommend a pilot get some PIC time before he comes to see me. Even flying in the bush in a Warrior or PA31 would be better than riding in the right seat for years.