Spaflyer - Salaries are slowly increasing and pilots are returning to the profession. I am sure the airlines would love to sponsor foreigners, as this would keep wages low, but as it stands, the US Government has determined that there is not a true pilot shortage.
striker26 - Your friend spent 15k to convert an FAA certificate to a TC license? Did they not know that Canada and the US have an agreement and will automatically convert licenses with just a knowledge test and medical exam?