Work Visas for foreign pilots
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Germany
Work Visas for foreign pilots
Hi,
I am Michael. Long story short: German citizen, brother is US Citizen (Greencard for me will take approx. 15 years). Looking to do the whole ATP (Airline Pilot Certificate) stuff in the US. Found a flight school in LA. Apparently they sponsor the student visa. They afterwards hire you for the 1500 hours which are necesarry. Now, my question is, after that, when i want to step into the regionals (MESA, Endeavour etc.) do they sponsor work visas? It would be kind of stupid to return to Germany after the licence and not being able to actually start working in the US...
Regards,
Michael
I am Michael. Long story short: German citizen, brother is US Citizen (Greencard for me will take approx. 15 years). Looking to do the whole ATP (Airline Pilot Certificate) stuff in the US. Found a flight school in LA. Apparently they sponsor the student visa. They afterwards hire you for the 1500 hours which are necesarry. Now, my question is, after that, when i want to step into the regionals (MESA, Endeavour etc.) do they sponsor work visas? It would be kind of stupid to return to Germany after the licence and not being able to actually start working in the US...
Regards,
Michael
Joined: Feb 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 118
From: USA
That's a tough question to answer since no one knows what any airline will be doing several years from now when you'd have your licenses and 1,500 hours. Any policy in place today can be dropped tomorrow.
Several US airlines have taken Australians on E3 visas but this doesn't help you at all. I also hear scuttlebutt about some taking pilots on H1b visas but airlines don't always publicly tell the whole story about what they're doing in terms of hiring.
Every regional has an email address on their website to contact their recruiting people. Write to every one of them and see if you can get any info that way. Good luck with your tough decision.
If you can figure out how to navigate this visa website, you might get some info here. This link is for Skywest as an example:
https://www.myvisajobs.com/Visa-Spon...es/1255100.htm
Last edited by bafanguy; 11th September 2023 at 15:04.
Joined: Dec 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 424
From: GA, USA
Start the greencard process though your brother. Use it as a backup plan.
The flight school will likely put you on a J1or F1 visa and after you have reached the ATP and officially finished your course of training you have to leave the country.
J1/F1 does not allow you to apply for a greencard as they are strictly student visas.
There is such a thing as an EB2 visa but you are not yet qualified for it.
https://www.aviationjobs.me/eb2-niw-...tm_medium=body
This means you’ll leave the US with 1500hrs and you’ll need to either do an EASA conversion or find a job with only FAA qualifications then apply for EB2 as soon as you qualify.
Alternatively look at flight training in Canada as their immigration policies are a lot friendlier.
The flight school will likely put you on a J1or F1 visa and after you have reached the ATP and officially finished your course of training you have to leave the country.
J1/F1 does not allow you to apply for a greencard as they are strictly student visas.
There is such a thing as an EB2 visa but you are not yet qualified for it.
https://www.aviationjobs.me/eb2-niw-...tm_medium=body
This means you’ll leave the US with 1500hrs and you’ll need to either do an EASA conversion or find a job with only FAA qualifications then apply for EB2 as soon as you qualify.
Alternatively look at flight training in Canada as their immigration policies are a lot friendlier.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Germany
Start the greencard process though your brother. Use it as a backup plan.
The flight school will likely put you on a J1or F1 visa and after you have reached the ATP and officially finished your course of training you have to leave the country.
J1/F1 does not allow you to apply for a greencard as they are strictly student visas.
There is such a thing as an EB2 visa but you are not yet qualified for it.
https://www.aviationjobs.me/eb2-niw-...tm_medium=body
This means you’ll leave the US with 1500hrs and you’ll need to either do an EASA conversion or find a job with only FAA qualifications then apply for EB2 as soon as you qualify.
Alternatively look at flight training in Canada as their immigration policies are a lot friendlier.
The flight school will likely put you on a J1or F1 visa and after you have reached the ATP and officially finished your course of training you have to leave the country.
J1/F1 does not allow you to apply for a greencard as they are strictly student visas.
There is such a thing as an EB2 visa but you are not yet qualified for it.
https://www.aviationjobs.me/eb2-niw-...tm_medium=body
This means you’ll leave the US with 1500hrs and you’ll need to either do an EASA conversion or find a job with only FAA qualifications then apply for EB2 as soon as you qualify.
Alternatively look at flight training in Canada as their immigration policies are a lot friendlier.
Michael,
That's a tough question to answer since no one knows what any airline will be doing several years from now when you'd have your licenses and 1,500 hours. Any policy in place today can be dropped tomorrow.
Several US airlines have taken Australians on E3 visas but this doesn't help you at all. I also hear scuttlebutt about some taking pilots on H1b visas but airlines don't always publicly tell the whole story about what they're doing in terms of hiring.
Every regional has an email address on their website to contact their recruiting people. Write to every one of them and see if you can get any info that way. Good luck with your tough decision.
If you can figure out how to navigate this visa website, you might get some info here. This link is for Skywest as an example:
https://www.myvisajobs.com/Visa-Spon...es/1255100.htm
That's a tough question to answer since no one knows what any airline will be doing several years from now when you'd have your licenses and 1,500 hours. Any policy in place today can be dropped tomorrow.
Several US airlines have taken Australians on E3 visas but this doesn't help you at all. I also hear scuttlebutt about some taking pilots on H1b visas but airlines don't always publicly tell the whole story about what they're doing in terms of hiring.
Every regional has an email address on their website to contact their recruiting people. Write to every one of them and see if you can get any info that way. Good luck with your tough decision.
If you can figure out how to navigate this visa website, you might get some info here. This link is for Skywest as an example:
https://www.myvisajobs.com/Visa-Spon...es/1255100.htm
I am wondering, why are they even doing flight schools for International students when they can't work afterwards anyways..
Joined: Feb 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 118
From: USA
Joined: Feb 2010
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 361
Likes: 28
From: Vienna (FAA CPL/CFI)
Lets get some things correct here. The US trains the majority of the world's pilots from China to the EU. They even allow EASA training on US soil. It's cheaper and faster.
What do FAA license holders get in Europe? Nothing. Seems fair.
What do FAA license holders get in Europe? Nothing. Seems fair.
Joined: Feb 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 118
From: USA
ahwalk01 is correct. And many if not most foreign pilots trained in the US return to their home country and do whatever license magic is required to fly at home.
I'd hesitate to tell you what to do but it is cheaper and faster to train here. Those factors may not be critical for you.
Joined: Dec 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 424
From: GA, USA
It would really be stupid to finish the 1500 hours and leaving the country.
The purpose is to provide you with flight training and additional experience which you will gain as a flight instructor, sounds like a job to meZ
It gets you 1250-1300 hrs more then you would get while training in Europe.
There is no arrangement for US flight students to train in Europa then gain 1300 hrs of additional experience so maybe you need to tone it down with the arrogance and entitlement a little bit.
It’s an option for flight training as is Canada, South Africa and Poland.
So if you have any better ideas by all means share them here.
so you'd recommend me rather do the flight school here in Europe somewhere and later convert maybe?
FAA ~> EASA is cheaper option.
EASA ~> FAA is more expensive option.
