havick,
"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..."
If that's the case, the entire E3 visa is useless to an American employer in this context. One would think Skywest would've investigated the nuts & bolts of the process before even considering/interviewing Aussies as oicur12.again describes.
Perhaps already having FAA tickets would streamline the process ? Must be a few Aussies who hold FAA tickets...