Canadian Citizens with FAA CFI
 

Yup, thats me... I've been getting a ton of offers to instruct in the USA... What are my options to work there legally...? I cannot seem to find the best (fastest) way to do this...

I am a canadian citizen and have my FAA CFI...?

Some schools in the US have a program where Canadians can instruct, but for a limited period of time and only if you've done your training there (i.e. UND was like this, likely still is.)

When I was at UND (13 years ago) my fellow Canadians and I got together to form an organization that researched ways to allow us some of the great opportunities our fellow American students were getting right out of school, with no luck. We were allowed a couple of years to stay and instruct at UND (either at GFK or UND satellite schools) and then they punted you back to Canada. There was one guy that convinced Piedmont to hire him as a line pilot, with the understanding that they'd sponsor him for a green card, but a few months later he was back at UND instructing (the story was that it too much paperwork.) Some of my friends stayed by marrying Americans but the rest of us are all back in Canada.

Have you asked the flight school that's offering you the job if they would be willing to sponsor you for a green card? (I'm sure they'd have to prove that there weren't any American candidates which I would expect to be a little tricky...)

When you look at the freedoms most Europeans enjoy as far as movement across international European borders, including he right to abode and labor, despite centuries of bloody history, it is really disappointing that two countries of a common background, which have enjoyed a long harmonious coexistence and couldn't have more in common (in the international realm), can't offer its citizens similar freedoms.

I have been watching for over 25 years, hoping that things would improve but, unfortunately, I think the trend points the other way.

A company would not be able to sponsor him/her for a green card, but rather a different type of visa, most likely an H1B visa, but I have not heard of any pilots getting these recently. The J and F visas are the ones which flight schools are issuing, which have the ability to stay and work as a flight instructor for a limited amount of time. A search on these forums will give you some details about the J1 and F1 visas. Also, search for "OPT" and "CPT".

It's hard because no school that I have come across wants to go through the hassle of all that paperwork...

I DO NOT want a green card.. I am happy with my Canadian citizenship.. but even under the NAFTA rules it sucks that pilots cannot go work in the US even after spending close to 80k of flight training there.

I researched the F1 visa but for that you have to be enrolled in a full time program. I already did my PPT-CPL-CFI so i guess the only thing I can enroll in is the CFII or the MEI if a school allows this. It's hard to get a school to convince you to do this and get the F1 visa on top of that.

NOt sure what other options there are out there

Thanks for clarifying the differences!

I ended up coming back to Canada without doing the FAA CFI (it doesn't transfer to TC, of course, so I didn't want to spend the $ twice) so the only visa I personally dealt with was my student one.

To airplaneholic, let us know if you figure anything out!

Still nothing as yet... I've tried asking the school to sponsor or try to see if i can come there as a student to do my CFII or MEI and work on the side under the F1 visa.. but no joy on getting schools to corporate...

It's hard... My next guess is to try to get a CFI from canada and build hours here... I have no intention of getting a green card since I'm happy being canadian...

I knew a Canadian who instructed in the US. He enrolled with Embry riddle to take online degree classes and got a visa which allowed him to instruct wherever he wanted so long as he continued taking classes.

Airplaneholic,

A green card allows you to be a permanent resident... You would still be Canadian. A green card is what you need in order to live and work freely in the USA as a Canadian citizen.

I am a US citizen, I DO NOT have a green card. My wife is a foreigner and she does have a green card.

If you want to work in the US, a green card is exactly what you need and you would still be Canadian.

I am Canadian and was able to immigrate based on employment as a flight instructor.

I went to UND. When I graduated I decided I wanted to stay in the US. UND wouldn't sponsor me, so I got a job at an FBO with the understanding that I wanted them to sponsor me.

I got to work for them with an H1B1 visa. That was probably the hardest part of the whole process. I had to prove that the job required a 4-year degree. I made the argument and immigration bought it. Then I went through the "labor certification" process where I proved that no American was interested in the job. After that it was all paper work and waiting. Not really hard, but not many employers want to take the risk of it not working out. I got lucky.