I have not spoken to the recruiters at Skywest again to get further info but the last info I had was that they had been interviewing Australians but at the moment it was on hold. Dont know why but I am guessing that some kinks were found in the process TSA/IACRA?? that need sorting out.
Probably because they've worked out that whilst the E3 Visa only takes 2-3 weeks to process and be issued, the TSA/FAA conversion is a whole different story taking upwards of 6-8 months depending on how long it takes to sort out fingerprints, medicals, verification of foreign license etc. One piece of paperwork not quite right, add another 2-6 months on top.