US Work Visas for Pilot

[f200]

Does anyone have ideas on how to get a work visa as a pilot for US charter company. The Falcon 200 is a corporate jet of which there are only 34 in civilian use and therefore experience etc is hard to find. I have an opportunity to work for a US charter company operating a Falcon 200 as they cannot find experienced crew for their airplane. Perhaps there is a good Immigration Attorney etc.

[Gnirren]

The company itself can sponsor a work visa for you, however it's extremely rare for US companies to do that since they become legally responsible for you while you're in the country. Typically you have to provide some sort of exceptional service that they can't find in the contry otherwise, or it's just not worth the risk for them.

The other option is the greencard lottery or get married to an american.

[B200Drvr]

I agree, Having worked there for 3.5 years, it is very difficult, even if a company files the paperwork for you, chances are you will have to leave the country untill it goes through, this will take 3-7 months.
I applied in 2001 and spent $3000 on an attorney but gave up when offered a job where visa was not required

[mjbow2]

All work Visas is are very involved and costly for the company. The job that the company wants to sponsor you for has to be approved by the Dep of Labour. I can assure you from personal experience that with thousands of mainline pilots on furlough, they do not consider the labour force to be short of pilots in any way what so ever.

If anyone has given you the notion that just because there are only a few F200's around they will look overseas for recruits, they are missleading you. American companies consider a pilot to be qualified even if they do not have time on type. Unlike many other countries Americans will look at say a Hawker pilot and rightly consider them qualified to fly the F200 after sending them through a Type Rating either on the Aircraft or with say Flight Safety.

Good luck.... I sincerely hope you can pull it off as there is nothing in this world that compares to the opportunities of flying in the US.

[MercenaryAli]

If you are a White Anglo Saxon Christian Male then forget obtaining a work visa for the USA - all others may apply ! Sorry but this is a fact of life.

[Ignition Override]

Ali:
A variety of foreign pilots instructed years ago not far from here at one of two (former) international aviation schools. A number of pilots, or with others, also worked for years at one our regional affiliate airlines. They had a variety of pilots from other countries (Can., western Europeans, South Africa...). I sometimes hit tennis balls with one of the former IPs who taught at the school which accepted students' large money deposits, until the day before it suddenly closed down.
But I have no idea how they were 'sponsored' by the airline (as described to me by a pilot from northern Europe), or whether all were married to US citizens.
I wish you luck with any good flying jobs over here, or elsewhere. They have become very difficult to get into over here. The marketplace, even for very experienced pilots, has become very overcrowded the last few years. Four of our pilots, who have various type ratings (737 required, and one FO I flew with also has experience both flying and instructing in the E-3 AWACS: 707 type-rating, and FEDEX had no time to talk to him the last time he was laid-off. And he might get laid-off again! Many of these guys are OVER-qualified for FEDEX: that might be the problem...and they are "mission-oriented"...) and over fifteen years of experience in higher performance turboprops and heavy 121 jets, were turned down by Southwest after the first interview. At some of the most succesful US airlines with the highest pay, one, two or three personal recomendations from other pilots (who have flown with you) are required, and at one company, the Chief Pilot becomes involved in this process. Even one or two successful low cost carriers (AirTran has B-717s and B-737s) might be asking their pilots for pay cuts! And at one of them, JetBlue (Emb-190/A-320), each pilot decides to sign a five-year contract (no union), or if not, they must leave?

At least the younger pilots have many more years to watch the market for pilots improve, but when, if ever, will fuel prices go much lower and stay down?