The overwhelming majority of foreigners flying as airline pilots in the USA did not come in on these visas. They came in because they had dual citizenship through a parent, had a US spouse, or came as students when they were young and did all their higher education and pilot licensing in the USA. The airlines worth working for in the USA are not short of pilots to the degree of needing to start sponsoring significant amounts of pilots to immigrate to the USA.

Just another thing to keep in mind, I speak from the perspective as a “world citizen” whose wife is a foreign national, I’ve worked in several airlines in the USA and the Middle East, now at a major US airline. Be sure living in the USA is really going to be right for you, after having hardly been in the USA for around a decade, it’s really changed and not for the better. I find working with all these former military pilots to be hardly bearable, I constantly get abused by crazy conspiracy theories about Trump or the virus being fake and lambasted about not having been in the US military. Living and working here is like being trapped in some kind of twisted reality tv program.

So... Delta or FedEx? :E

civil conversations
 

Very hard, just like it is hard for them to adjust to us foreigners ;))
I really enjoy talking politics, religion conspiricies etc. BUT having flown in Europe, Africa and South America i now know that these subjects need to be discussed with people who can have a civil discussion without trying to change the others opinion..... I am contemplating moving there but will try to keep the discussions about politics, gun laws, religion, the military as far away from the flight deck as possible... I will try to stick to the bilboard 100, sports and company policies :) ( i stole this tip from the jetcareers.com)

A difficult task to obtain the greencard, indeed. Also looking forward to receiving more tips.

To be fair, they’re not the only ones. We have our fair share where I’m at and it’s not always former military guys.

pilotcbp,

That's quite a negative picture you paint of your time and personal experience in US airline flying.

Not to be confrontational or impertinent, but why are you still here working under the conditions you describe ?

Whilst I haven’t run into too many ex mil guys or girls at my airline, the conspiracy theorists and religion nuts do sometimes get on my nerves. Not enough to make me leave but it’s extraordinary how some very well educated people can believe in Jewish space lasers and that Hillary Clinton ran a child trafficking ring.

That’s just 2 examples which are pretty old now but proof that some people will believe anything on Fox/CNN or Facebook. I added CNN because democrats aren’t innocent of peddling crap either.

"""""""At this stage I see it as more of an experiment for pilots, and its not cheap. The average quotes for the NIW have been anywhere from $5k-$10K plus more IF the NIW is approved then its onto the next step"""""".

thanks for your information mate. Just a few questions; what do you mean by "$5k-$10k"? Is that the lawyers' quotes or self-applicants costs?

Just for my case example: CPL- INS-CFI (EASA ATP Frozen) from ICAO, CASA and EASA, +3500 hours. Master degree MBA, Bachelor of Aeronautics. Any chance for this NIW EB-2?

Thanks all for anyone else's opinions.

Good day mate, I am planning to get the ATP SE, would you please lead me to some links related to some theory and the practical exams and check ride preparations links. Thank you.

Good day mate. I am planning to travel to the US for the ATP SE and later on the multi Eng. Would you please get in touch with me, Thanks

Hi Ana, I have an Australian Passport, Phd student, got an MBA already (Master of Business Administration), Bachelor of Aeronautics, Three pilot licenses CPL/INS/CFI from ICAO, CASA and EASA (ATPL frozen), +3500 hours. What would be my chance you guess?

Thanks

Tony

Maybe because he passed the point of no return? I am in the same boat. Working for a major airline in the US, and am also appalled at the rise of nutters amongst pilots.

​​​​​​​You forgot AAL!

Squawk7777,

Must be pretty bad. What percentage of the people you fly with are "nutters" ?

According to a few immigration lawyers, unless you are a test pilot from Airbus, forget it. Ordinary line pilots are nothing special.

Scam - Congress or the USCIS will NOT approve this. We dont need foreign pilots to steal our jobs.

Just like you are “stealing” jobs based in Paris working for fedex ?

Says the guy stealing our jobs in Europe with cabotage. And these idiots don't even pay social contributions and taxes while being domiciled in Europe.

Thanks (no sarcasm). If it's a dead-end, the voices saying so need to become more numerous, the confirmation bias to 'go' is clearly visible upthread. A lot of money could be lost. As long as some of it ends with the middle men they're not the ones telling you. No matter if honestly underinformed or actively scheming.

On the second sentence, agreed as well. A second wrong doesn't fix the first one (re: BananaJoe). A real shortage will drive the packages up, attracting the worldwide US pilots back to home soil. That tide will raise all the boats.
Airlines chasing foreigners only have a singular motivation to secure lower-cost labour while avoiding employment responsibilities normally associated with running their business.

You can say similar thing about DHL in the U.S. Why are Canadian and European carriers operating through CVG carrying packages sent from the U.S?

I don’t think there are pilots in the US to steal jobs from.

Check your facts. DHL are using American operators and American pilots for their flights within the US.

Did I say US domestic DHL were run by foreign carriers?

So what's the difference between FedEx/UPS running CGN-CDG or Aerologic/CargoJet running CVG-MEX/YVR?

We're talking about domestic market here, and FedEx and UPS are doing that in the EU. I am kinda fed up of flying in formation with a UPS 767 on an instra-Spanish sector or ia FedEx 757 ntra-French sector.

Microsoft Word - 2017_0330_US-cargo-operators_Executive_Summary_EN_F.doc (beca.be)

Not a lawyer so I don't know the full details of those stuffs, but I'm sure there is a reason why ASL Ireland is doing FedEx feeder flights for this purpose.

As much as you don't like that idea, nobody in the U.S expected Europeans to take an advantage of open skies by using flag of convenience :yuk:.

Hi Guys, I am looking at the option of doing my FAA CPL with IR rating. I already have quite a bit of jet hours experience but unfortunately I am from the MPL route and hence have to get some single engine PIC hours done. I am neither an US citizen nor a green card holder. If I manage to get a FAA CPL & maybe the ATPL, what are my job prospects? Thanks

ASL and West Atlantic are not operating all of the FedEx flights, and Star Air are not operating all of the UPS flights. Should be 100% on the European network.

And since when are Sweden and Belgium flag of convenience?

Norwegian Air International Scheme

If you have a problem, blame the union for not doing their job. Every T&C degradation comes from EU anyway.

Because they're talking those packages from the US to the real world? They're not allowed to carry packages within the US. Unlike the countless N-reg FedEx planes operating within Europe..

So you are saying Aerologic doing CVG-MEX is ok whilst FDX/UPS doing CGN-BCN isn't allowed? You are considering the whole Schengen as one country?

Mexico and USA are in NAFTA, a free trade agreement, or some sort of customs union at most, whereas the EU is a single market. NAFTA stops well short of the EU. Aerologic cannot transport packages from LAX to CVG whereas FDX can between CDG and CGN.

The original Chicago Convention and it’s extensions into 5th, 6th and 7th freedoms is between countries. So as long as there is British royalty, a French president, a German chancellor, etc., there will be foreign airlines operating between European countries.

Regularly see cargolux and similar from anc to the lower 48.

Good evening fellow pilots,

I'm an immigration and aviation attorney in the United States. I'm also Major Airline pilot.

In order to qualify for an EB-2 Visa with a National Interest Waiver, a pilot should have three if the following criteria met:

• At least 10 years of experience as a pilot.
• Valid FAA, IATA or ICAO certifications.
• Proof of membership in pilot professional associations.
• Evidence of compensation in the top 70% of pilots in country of employment at some point in last 5 years.
• Recognition of achievements in the aviation industry from government entities, peers, professional or business organizations.
• Anything that makes your training and/or experience special or noteworthy, including management, SIM instructor, and/or check airman.
• Minimum of 5000 hours as PIC.

The current processing time is 11-18 months.

If you have any questions, please free to reach out.

Jose Leon, Esq.
Leon Law, PLLC
LegalLeon.com
(904)982-0000 (WS)
[email protected]

My Ozzie friends are applying to Atlas, can UK passport holders do it aswell?

Yes. With the NIW, you don't need the sponsorship and can pursue any airline.

No, UK passport holders do not qualify for airline sponsorship in USA. Only countries with a free trade agreement with the USA can be sponsored, Australia, Singapore, Chile…….

The only way is by family rights, or a H1B but pretty much no airlines are sponsoring H1Bs as it seems its harder work then getting guys on E3s.

There is various law firms saying you can get a green card blah blah blah, in reality you pay anything from 20-30K USD upfront and have a 12 month minimum wait time to see if its approved or not, of course they will tell you its a high chance.

Hi BAe 146-100,


Most things in USCIS are taking 12 months plus, even immediate relative petitions.

If anyone would like to discuss their individual situation, feel free to reach out. I'm an immigration attorney and airline pilot in the US.

To date I have not heard from a single law firm that has been successful with EB2-NIW applications for pilots specifically. EB2-NIW is a real thing, I get that but for pilots specifically with only flying qualifications, no. I am yet to be shown actual proof or spoken to someone that has been approved. If it was a thing, there would be 100s of pilots in the US already on this type of visa like the E3.
Big red flag with no actual proof and it all just seems like a way for law firms to exploit a vulnerable situation.

Definitely, a bunch of them have jumped on the bandwagon and will be more then happy to take your money and sit on it, most of them do not give refunds either if it is rejected. What is more disappointing is so called airline pilots in the USA trying to make a quick buck on referrals by aligning themselves with these law firms……

Hi everyone.

So im asking for a friend, he has his FAA CPL ME/SE/IR with about 500 hrs. He has the opportunity to get his green card holder through some people. As the saying goes "its not what you know its who you know". he's keen to jump on the band wagon but I think its a gamble to just go get the green card straight away. even with a green card he still doesn't have the hours to even be considered hirable, I'm I wrong or right?. I told him, one doesn't need be a green card holder to work in the US as a pilot he can get a work visa but first he needs to build more hours.

Im not a US citizen so I don't have much knowledge on what the pilot situation or the hiring process is if companies are only hiring foreigners with green cards due to the headache and cost of having to sponsor someone especially with low flight hours that he has.

So should he go get the green card (takes months even a few years t get it before he can work form my understanding) and hope for the best or
first build the hours get at least 1500hrs and then apply and hope that someone will sponsor him for a work visa

Any light shed on this would be much appreciated.

Safe flying everyone..