Working on a CR1 visa

[Daygo]

Hey guys and girls, I am a Brit and have just moved to the US with my wife, a US citizen. I was issued with a CR1 visa because we had been married less than 2 years. In 2 years time the C (conditional) residency will be removed and I will have permanent residency status. I am a UK EASA ATPL holder and am fully aware of the conversion process. However I have been for a couple of interviews with regionals and they have told me that although they are offering me a conditional offer of employment I will not be able start with them until I have had the "Conditional" part from my visa removed. I just wanted to know if anyone out there knows who would hire me and if anyone (which I am sure they have) before me has had the same problem and what they did to circumnavigate the problem? On most applications it says must have the legal right to live and work in the US, which I do. It's only when they realise my conditional status it becomes a problem! Bottom line is I need to start working ASAP. I also understand that if the airline pump lots of money in to my training and I have to leave because my visa runs out then I will have wasted there money. Its slightly illogical though because I could leave the US at anytime with my UK passport!! Thanks. (Apologies if this has been covered before.)

[bafanguy]

Daygo,

Is there any way to document to an employer just what percentage of CR1 holders did, or did not, make the jump to permanent status at the end of two years ? Just as a way to build your case to a prospective employer that you will very likely make that transition without a snag and are therefore a very low/no risk hire ?

Did these carriers you talked with indicate that the CR1 was an issue perhaps because the federal government or FAA policy was somehow creating the obstacle ?

These regionals are bleeding pilots to higher tier carriers so they must know that you...along with virtually every other pilot on their list...will be fleeing the scene ASAP anyway...and taking that training cost you mention with them ( I don't think I'd try to make my case to a prospective employer using that logic, however).

If the CR1 obstacle is a decision resting solely with the carrier HR people, is it possible that you just need to apply to every stinkin' regional there is and take what you can get until the 2 years pass ?

You have a perplexing problem. Good luck with it.

Have you tried Expressjet yet ? Is your current experience in the range of a higher level US carrier requirements or are you looking at regionals to get large airplane experience ?

[bafanguy]

Reverserbucket,

Considering the convolution and complexity of issues like this, Daygo (and Mrs. Daygo) can easily be forgiven for not having full grasp of the fine points...unless he's been using an immigration attorney. If that's the case, perhaps a different attorney might be in order.

In my reply, I questioned if the Federalies might be the source of the obstacle; it appears they are. Not a surprise really.

I wish him the best. He's come to a "target rich" environment and is understandably eager to get at it.

[Star1101]

You can apply for an airline job with refugee status , I guess the refugee docket or booklet is your form of passport.
Cross boarder is the big thing there with conditional status, I thought regional were OK with that because they have domestic flights.

[zondaracer]

Some regionals (but not all) fly into Canada and Mexico, and some fly to the Bahamas.

[Star1101]

If you work for Nippon Cargo and are based from USA soil as a foreign national and marry a USA citizen then how they going to satisfy the conditional residency if you want to keep the job, there has to be something there for aircrews with this conditional residency.

[zondaracer]

My wife had a CR1 visa initially. Now she wasn't a pilot, but she told all employers that she had a green card and showed them the green card and that was enough for them.

[peekay4]

I think there's some inaccurate info in this thread. As far as I know, there is no temporary travel restrictions after one enters with a CR1.

When the OP entered the US with a CR1, he was immediately given "green card" status. His stamped CR1 will have a notation that it serves as a "green card" (I-551) until the physical green card arrives in the mail.

The OP is now a "permanent resident", subject to conditions. He is free to come and go like any other permanent resident.

The physical green card should arrive in several weeks if it has not already.

If the OP temporarily leaves the US and then re-enters, he is no longer re-entering as a CR1 but as a lawful permanent resident.

@Daygo

You should speak to an immigration lawyer. You no longer have a "visa": you are now a US permanent resident, subject to conditions. You have the same rights and responsibilities as any other green card holder. IMHO when you talk to airlines / recruiters you should simply tell them you are a lawful permanent resident and not mention any visas. If you don't have your physical green card yet, you may want to wait until it arrives.

[Gomrath]

peekay4 is correct. once you enter on a CR1 you have Permanent Residency status - but it is conditional on you remaining married and living together etc etc and that you do not leave the US for an extended period of time (same as a 'regular' PR). If you leave the US for an extended period, then you are deemed to have abandoned your status. You can apply for a Re-Entry Permit if you were to want t o leave the US for an extended period but you will still be required to file US tax returns from wherever you are.

[bafanguy]

Well it's a shame if the misunderstanding over this visa/green card stuff has interfered in Daygo's employment prospects and timeline.

I'd not be surprised if a US regional didn't understand his situation; they're likely new to dealing with people in Daygo's circumstance.

Time for someone to get a proper immigration attorney. These days, that includes some US airlines apparently.

Maybe Daygo will return with an instructive update on events ?

[bafanguy]

R-bucket,

I don't see that any of Daygo's issues originated here but rather at the interaction with the regionals he mentioned in the first post.

I also wish him well. If he's got some large airplane experience, maybe he ought to be applying to Delta, American or United too.

[PDMG]

I had a similar issue whilst seeking training while on a long term assignment in th US and travelling under a B1 in lieu of a H1B.

The flight school didn't really know, the Alien Flight programme didn't really know and I ended up flying over schools over the US to find out which gave mixed results. I even phoned the visa issuing authority to ask and they didn't know, saying that I could exchange my visa for a student one if I like and have both but I needed to return to the uk for that.

Eventually I contacted the AOPA as a non-member and the guy at the over end of the phone told me that there was a lot of confusion over this one and that there was no hard rule applied. He could not offer specific advice but in an off the record conversation just chatting he did suggest that even the government didn't know and that as per most of my flight school phone arounds I could get training if it was not my main reason for bring there.

So I applied to the AFSP and was approved and now an FAA CPL holder. Now back home I'm doing the opposite and wondering why H-pilots need to answer questions about flying 7000 miles on great circle tracks, naming the point at which you are after 3500 miles. That's simple for me - I was at the fuel pumps before 500 miles!!

So worth trying to phone the authorities just to check you have the rules straight in my opinion. Good luck with it.

[Daygo]

Hi Guys and Girls,

First and foremost, thank you very much for everyones responses. I was not naive in coming to the US and when I had spoken to the regionals from the UK this CR-1 Visa did not seem to be an issue.

From my understanding it is the larger players i.e AA and United that seem to have a problem with the Visa situation and the regionals who are under contract are just following compliancy. According to the information I have ascertained I have a permanent resident visa but for the next two years it is conditional (to me maintaining my marriage and being a good boy.) I think when I physically have the Green Card in my hand (between 2-5 months now) then this might change the situation...

I have no solid answers and will be speaking to USCIS and the compliancy department at AA to try and understand this situation better.

I seriously cannot believe I am the only person to have encountered this? I hear of lots of British pilots who came over for their initial training, became flight instructors, ended up marrying and now fly over here for a living; the problem is none of them are coming forward.

I will be back once I have found out more information.

Regards

Daygo

[peekay4]

Daygo when did you arrive? You should receive your green card within 4-6 weeks of your entry date. If you haven't received it after 60 days, be sure to call USCIS to check on its status.

Don't tell anyone you have a "visa" anymore. You no longer have a visa. That visa ceased to exist the moment immigration stamped your passport on entry. What you now have in your passport is not a visa but a 1-year I-551 permanent residency endorsement.

Yes it's "just" terminology, but if you tell people you want to work on a visa (or as the thread title suggest "on a CR1"), that's not only inaccurate but also makes life more complicated for you.

So instead, tell airlines you are a "permanent resident" and/or that you have "a green card" (when you have that physical card).

Next step is to apply for your SSN if you haven't already.

[Daygo]

Hi Peekay,

Thanks for the advice. I was told by immigration when I entered the US that my physical green card would take 4-6 months to arrive? Not sure if there is a massive back log or something? I arrived on the 1st Jan. I've also applied for my SSN. Hopefully my green card will arrive shortly then.

My understanding is that when my green card arrives it says nothing about being conditional and is just called a permanent resident card with a 2 year expiry (or at least I hope.)

I have been offered a job and now I'm just waiting for TSA clearance, the fun continues.

Once again thanks for the advice.

Daygo


Daygo when did you arrive? You should receive your green card within 4-6 weeks of your entry date. If you haven't received it after 60 days, be sure to call USCIS to check on its status.

Don't tell anyone you have a "visa" anymore. You no longer have a visa. That visa ceased to exist the moment immigration stamped your passport on entry. What you now have in your passport is not a visa but a 1-year I-551 permanent residency endorsement.

Yes it's "just" terminology, but if you tell people you want to work on a visa (or as the thread title suggest "on a CR1"), that's not only inaccurate but also makes life more complicated for you.

So instead, tell airlines you are a "permanent resident" and/or that you have "a green card" (when you have that physical card).

Next step is to apply for your SSN if you haven't already.

[Daygo]

Hi Reverserbucket,

I would have thought the K1 visa would have been more stringent than the CR1 visa as I am actually married?

I applied straight away for a SSN and hopefully that should arrive in the next couple of weeks. I am starting to think when I physically have my "Green Card" in hand that things might be different as it states Permanent Resident but just with a 2 year expiry. Called USCIS this morning and they said it can take up to 90 days?

Just have to wait and see.....

Daygo