I did something similar. I held an Oz ATPL for single & multi, and then got an FAA ATP-MEL. Some years later, after working for a regional in the UK and then moving to the US, I wanted to add SE to my FAA licence. Having never done the FAA's woftam manoeuvers I opted to do an ATP-SEL+SES add-on (I'd always wanted a floatplane licence so it was a convenient way to kill two birds**).
For someone not familiar with the FAA specific manoeuvers, but familiar with ATP/instrument flight tests, then an ATP-SEL is definitely the way to go. It bypasses the whole manoeuvers bull!!!! (still have to do stall recovery & steep turns. Big deal) and reduces the flight to little more than a few precision & non-precision approaches.
**I did the test in a C180 amphibian. It was based at a land airport so doing the necessary splashes + approaches + stall/steep turns and then finishing back at the airport ticked the boxes for both SEL & SES.
Last edited by Tinstaafl; 22nd July 2017 at 00:26.