US opening up Green cards to experienced UK Pilots? Truth or Rumour

[zerotohero]

Heard a few times recently that the US state department are looking at including experienced pilots in the acceptable profession to qualify for a residents visa to work in the US for British Citizens.

Anyone know if there is any truth to this or further info or is it just usual flight deck rumours after one guy got his PPL there and is wishing it was true

[RexBanner]

Even if there is the remotest truth to it (which I very much doubt) I can guarantee you that you won't be stepping straight into one of the majors on a widebody (or even on a narrow body) for that matter. You'll be starting in the bottom feeder regional airlines earning McDonalds/Taco Bell level of salary.

[JW411]

Who knows?

Thirty years ago I went from LHS DC-10 (CAA) directly to LHS DC-10 (FAA) for a Part 121 Flag Carrier based in JFK for 3 years (the transition was easy) .

My company applied for and got me an L1 visa which allowed me to fly for that carrier (or its associates) without any restriction.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Part 121 time and I was encouraged to go for a Green Card but I could see no future in living in the USA.

Those of you who fly in UK (and Europe) have no idea of the power that the unions in the USA possess.

They make BALPA look like a bunch of Boy Scouts.

I watched a progamme the other night about "American Pickers" visiting Oshkosh. Their host was Sully's F/O who told us that he went into the Hudson River sitting in the right seat with 21,000 hours.

This is a union thing.

[bafanguy]

zerotohero,

I'd have to see the official State Dept. press release on that. There's already that much-discussed visa in place for Aussies which appears to be poorly utilized here, if used at all by airlines or any operator (there are the few Aussie fire fighters mentioned elsewhere but that's a very specialized circumstance).

But then, when you start pondering the behavior of our ruling junta, nothing should surprise you. A quick look at the State Dept. website didn't offer anything that I could find.

And RexBanner is very likely correct. The competition for slots at the big three legacies (and the LCCs for that matter) is absolutely FIERCE and will be for a very long time so the low-time folks would be entering at a lower level job. But then, technically all US carriers will hire foreign nationals who have the legal ability to live/work in the US so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility for a VERY experienced visa holder to do well.

[172_driver]

About 2 years ago I was approached by a former colleague from my instructing days. She was looking for foreigners that fulfilled the ATP requirements and told me to apply, I believe it was to ExpressJet, using her as reference. Sign-up bonus was something like $7000 and they would sort out the work permit. I was tempted, I enjoyed my previous stay in the US. But with a young family to provide for and a stubborn Yorkshire lass that doesn't think much of the States I never came about doing it.

[Rednex]

Plenty more fish in the sea 172 driver!

[172_driver]

Pilots? obviously not

Women? yes, but when your first child is born your priorities tend to shift