My chances for a U.S Major with a Green Card
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Mare Nostrum
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Time to upgrade at a regional depends on the regional... and it changes so fast. You might get hired at a regional when guys are upgrading in 2 years, and then upgrade might suddenly drop to 8 years or worse. In fact, your regional could be closed down like Comair. You might be at a regional where upgrade is 6 years and then they get new flying and delivery of new airplanes and upgrade drops to 1 year. It all depends and it is really hard to predict.
At a minimum, if you have no part 135 or part 121 experience (foreign carrier is considered part 129, NOT part 121), it will be a minimum of 1.5 years to upgrade. You need 1000 hours of part 121 SIC or part 135 in order to upgrade.
To give you an idea, here is what I pulled from another website:
Starting pay... depending on the regional. If you go to a company such as Great Lakes, no pay during training and first you, your taxable income will be around $20,000 (they just raised first year pay by the way). Air Wisconsin is on the higher side and guys are saying that gross income first year is around $35,000. There are pay scales available for all the companies on various websites, so you can look around, but keep in mind there is something called "soft pay." This is extra pay for things such as picking up trips in open time, junior manned pay, etc... You also have to look at the contract, because some companies, such as Republic, do not have cancellation pay. Even though two companies have the same hourly pay, your end of year pay can vary by as much as $10,000.
Obviously, first year pay is not great at all. Second year pay usually has a pretty decent jump, and Captain pay is a really good jump.
You can expect to make somewhere between $22-$28 an hour first year. Second year, it can be as high as $40 an hour. First year Captain pay can be around $60 an hour. Pay scales can be found on different websites.
At a minimum, if you have no part 135 or part 121 experience (foreign carrier is considered part 129, NOT part 121), it will be a minimum of 1.5 years to upgrade. You need 1000 hours of part 121 SIC or part 135 in order to upgrade.
To give you an idea, here is what I pulled from another website:
TSA: Captain Qualified First Officers
PSA: 8 months for now (For those meeting 1000 hours in 8 months or possibly street captains), for those starting with 0 121 SIC or 135 PIC you are looking at least 2-3 years since junior eligible pilots will be coming in an taking away upgrade slots. It will likely take a majority of you a minimum of 1.5 years to even get 1000 hours. Very good chances once PSA starts to park their 50 seat aircraft those with 0 time will see 3-4 year upgrades or longer.
Mesa: 8 months, maybe street captains? (For those meeting 1000 hours in 8 months or possibly street captains), for those starting with 0 121 SIC or 135 PIC you are looking at least 2-3 years since junior eligible pilots will be coming in an taking away upgrade slots. It will likely take a majority of you a minimum of 1.5 years to even get 1000 hours.
Compass: Down to 7 months. (For those meeting 1000 hours it is 7 months and shrinking to possibly street captains), for those starting with 0 121 SIC or 135 PIC you are looking at least 2-3 years since junior eligible pilots will be coming in an taking away upgrade slots. It will likely take a majority of you a minimum of 1.5 years to even get 1000 hours.
Piedmont: 3 years and dropping
Gojet: 3 years and stagnant?
Skywest: 4 years and slowly dropping
Air Wisconsin: 5 years and dropping?
Republic: 7 years and possibly dropping?
ASA/Expressjet: 8 years and stagnant?
Envoy: 8 years and stagnant?
Endeavor: 8 years and possibly dropping?
Horizon: possibly dropping to 2-3 years?
PSA: 8 months for now (For those meeting 1000 hours in 8 months or possibly street captains), for those starting with 0 121 SIC or 135 PIC you are looking at least 2-3 years since junior eligible pilots will be coming in an taking away upgrade slots. It will likely take a majority of you a minimum of 1.5 years to even get 1000 hours. Very good chances once PSA starts to park their 50 seat aircraft those with 0 time will see 3-4 year upgrades or longer.
Mesa: 8 months, maybe street captains? (For those meeting 1000 hours in 8 months or possibly street captains), for those starting with 0 121 SIC or 135 PIC you are looking at least 2-3 years since junior eligible pilots will be coming in an taking away upgrade slots. It will likely take a majority of you a minimum of 1.5 years to even get 1000 hours.
Compass: Down to 7 months. (For those meeting 1000 hours it is 7 months and shrinking to possibly street captains), for those starting with 0 121 SIC or 135 PIC you are looking at least 2-3 years since junior eligible pilots will be coming in an taking away upgrade slots. It will likely take a majority of you a minimum of 1.5 years to even get 1000 hours.
Piedmont: 3 years and dropping
Gojet: 3 years and stagnant?
Skywest: 4 years and slowly dropping
Air Wisconsin: 5 years and dropping?
Republic: 7 years and possibly dropping?
ASA/Expressjet: 8 years and stagnant?
Envoy: 8 years and stagnant?
Endeavor: 8 years and possibly dropping?
Horizon: possibly dropping to 2-3 years?
Obviously, first year pay is not great at all. Second year pay usually has a pretty decent jump, and Captain pay is a really good jump.
You can expect to make somewhere between $22-$28 an hour first year. Second year, it can be as high as $40 an hour. First year Captain pay can be around $60 an hour. Pay scales can be found on different websites.
Fellow non-native-american-pilot speaking here:
You will need to get your transcripts validated showing you have a at least the equivalent of an American 4 year college degree, a LOT of applicants have advanced degrees, I was not very successful, according to the accrediting agency I only had high school, even tough I have six year prep school of higher level than US high School and 3 years of University.
You will need at least 1000 hours turbine PIC, and you count only hours where you were the Captain in the airplane (not PICUS or SIM).
As mentioned already you will be up against several thousand applicants who have lived in the states for the last 10 years, making the required background check just that much easier, most airlines will accept green cards, (except I think Fedex UPS and some other due to dept of defense contracts) but I am sure it doesn't help....
A lot of airlines will give preference to people with internal recommendation letters, I would guess because you post this question you don't' have any?
As for regional pay:
when I got laid of from my last job I didn't even apply to any of the regionals, I can not afford to go to work for what they pay! GoJet Airlines | AirlinePilotCentral.com
You are looking at working around 18 days a month starting at around $20-25000 first year, around $35000 second year. if you are lucky and pick the right regional that gets the big contract (at the expense of the other regionals, see Envoy) you will upgrade after 4 years or so, get back on reserve, get displaced to LGA and sit on reserve trying to get your 1000 hours.
IF you get hired at a mayor (or regional) you will be at the bottom of the list and get the most junior aircraft and base regardless of previous experience.
The good news: there is no need to pay for a type rating, you flew your hours while qualified on that type so you can use those on your application. you can go to
https://atpflightschool.com/index.html
I think 12 days $10.000 should get you an ATP, if you insist $12.000 and 12 days will add 737 rating.
Most of this has been posted by others already, just confirming the state of things here, also I think my post sounds bitter, but I found a good job here, looking at a reasonable pay, schedule and upgrade time on an Airbus, and I love flying, would not want to do any thing else for a living, it is just not an easy thing to get on with a mayor. I have a US passport, 5 type ratings, JAA and FAA license, 3000 hours of turbine PIC, 4000 hours jet, 8000 hours turbine and more than 10 internal recommendations for American and United (no College degree though), have gone to 3 job fairs and zero interest from the legacy carriers.
Good Luck with with the job hunt!!
P.S. If you get a green card you will have to establish residency in the States otherwise you can lose your green card. Way back in the day I lived in the States while working in Europe for a few years and couldn't claim I wasn't a US resident for tax purposes because that would make me ineligible to keep my card!
You will need to get your transcripts validated showing you have a at least the equivalent of an American 4 year college degree, a LOT of applicants have advanced degrees, I was not very successful, according to the accrediting agency I only had high school, even tough I have six year prep school of higher level than US high School and 3 years of University.
You will need at least 1000 hours turbine PIC, and you count only hours where you were the Captain in the airplane (not PICUS or SIM).
As mentioned already you will be up against several thousand applicants who have lived in the states for the last 10 years, making the required background check just that much easier, most airlines will accept green cards, (except I think Fedex UPS and some other due to dept of defense contracts) but I am sure it doesn't help....
A lot of airlines will give preference to people with internal recommendation letters, I would guess because you post this question you don't' have any?
As for regional pay:
when I got laid of from my last job I didn't even apply to any of the regionals, I can not afford to go to work for what they pay! GoJet Airlines | AirlinePilotCentral.com
You are looking at working around 18 days a month starting at around $20-25000 first year, around $35000 second year. if you are lucky and pick the right regional that gets the big contract (at the expense of the other regionals, see Envoy) you will upgrade after 4 years or so, get back on reserve, get displaced to LGA and sit on reserve trying to get your 1000 hours.
IF you get hired at a mayor (or regional) you will be at the bottom of the list and get the most junior aircraft and base regardless of previous experience.
The good news: there is no need to pay for a type rating, you flew your hours while qualified on that type so you can use those on your application. you can go to
https://atpflightschool.com/index.html
I think 12 days $10.000 should get you an ATP, if you insist $12.000 and 12 days will add 737 rating.
Most of this has been posted by others already, just confirming the state of things here, also I think my post sounds bitter, but I found a good job here, looking at a reasonable pay, schedule and upgrade time on an Airbus, and I love flying, would not want to do any thing else for a living, it is just not an easy thing to get on with a mayor. I have a US passport, 5 type ratings, JAA and FAA license, 3000 hours of turbine PIC, 4000 hours jet, 8000 hours turbine and more than 10 internal recommendations for American and United (no College degree though), have gone to 3 job fairs and zero interest from the legacy carriers.
Good Luck with with the job hunt!!
P.S. If you get a green card you will have to establish residency in the States otherwise you can lose your green card. Way back in the day I lived in the States while working in Europe for a few years and couldn't claim I wasn't a US resident for tax purposes because that would make me ineligible to keep my card!
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Hans - check out if any college will give you a lot of credit for your post HS education. You might find that you're fairly close to gettting a four yr degree. It's probably the biggest 'bump' you could do for your resume.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Type rating for free
Hi all,
I don't think is true to say you get your type rating for free in the us regional.
You are paying your it by making $20,000 in the first year.
You pay not like in some places(training bond, bank guarantee,etc) but you are paying it for sure.
Just my 2 cents,
Happy landings to you all.
I don't think is true to say you get your type rating for free in the us regional.
You are paying your it by making $20,000 in the first year.
You pay not like in some places(training bond, bank guarantee,etc) but you are paying it for sure.
Just my 2 cents,
Happy landings to you all.
Join Date: Jan 2007
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I don't think you necessarily need to get your type ratings on your U.S. certificate. If you can convert your JAA license to a US ATP MEL that should suffice to apply to the airlines along with a class I FAA medical. The fact that your JAA Type is not on your FAA Airman Certificate in no way negates the experience you have on type and documented in your log book. Why spend $10,000 on a type rating when you can get the ATP conversion MEL on a Seneca or something similar at a flying school for a lot less. Airlines will train you on type and give you a type if its part of their training protocol.
Join Date: Apr 2000
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What NGFellow said: don't spend money converting type rating.
I'm one of the pre-interviewers. Also a former green card holder, no degree (but ex-mil). Your experience is valuable, no doubt about it. I like to meet big-jet intl experienced candidates (and large corporate).
Here's the rub: I write on the back of your resume that in my considerable experience worldwide you have that unusual character that could be useful to us, and then it goes to Recruitment and then to an outside vendor and we lose all track of you unless the vendor's system spits you out for an interview. It's chaotic, and frustrating. Even a letter of rec from MGMNT won't necessarily work.
So: are you qualified? Yes, but agreed PIC could be issue.
Degree? Not so much an issue for alien candidates, I think. Diff system.
Get to a pre-interview at a job fair.
Good luck.
Yes, you'll be hired by a regional in a heartbeat. Step 1 in residency establishment...
I'm one of the pre-interviewers. Also a former green card holder, no degree (but ex-mil). Your experience is valuable, no doubt about it. I like to meet big-jet intl experienced candidates (and large corporate).
Here's the rub: I write on the back of your resume that in my considerable experience worldwide you have that unusual character that could be useful to us, and then it goes to Recruitment and then to an outside vendor and we lose all track of you unless the vendor's system spits you out for an interview. It's chaotic, and frustrating. Even a letter of rec from MGMNT won't necessarily work.
So: are you qualified? Yes, but agreed PIC could be issue.
Degree? Not so much an issue for alien candidates, I think. Diff system.
Get to a pre-interview at a job fair.
Good luck.
Yes, you'll be hired by a regional in a heartbeat. Step 1 in residency establishment...
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Join Date: Mar 2015
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Wow thank you guys! A lot of useful information here. I hope it serves anyone who is willing to follow the same path i do.
Well RRAMJET i will keep in mind what you have said.
However the step 1 is getting the Green Card
I will let you know about the details since everyone here was very kind and helpful.
Well RRAMJET i will keep in mind what you have said.
However the step 1 is getting the Green Card
I will let you know about the details since everyone here was very kind and helpful.
