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Brit pilots working in the USA

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Old 2nd Aug 2023, 20:48
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Brit pilots working in the USA

I’m hearing from a number of different sources that more and more experienced British Captains are now working for US airlines.

Apparently, the US Citizen and Immigration Service have now included pilots on the list of those professions that qualify for ‘Employment Visas’ and are fast tracking applications.

Does anyone know the name of any of the agencies involved in recruiting UK pilots?
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Old 2nd Aug 2023, 21:23
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You are misinformed. You might have been hearing about the National interest waiver for the EB2.
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Old 2nd Aug 2023, 21:46
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Originally Posted by SixPin
I’m hearing from a number of different sources that more and more experienced British Captains are now working for US airlines
Not disputing what you say but:

Do your sources have any documentation to support this ? They are certainly in the RHS if they're here in a Part 121 operation.

And do your sources have documented explanations for how these folks got the legal ability to live/work in the US ? Green Card lottery ? Married into a Green Card ? Documented National interest waiver for the EB2 ?

They'd be welcome but it'd be informative to see for sure how they got here. Inquiring minds want to know.
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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 02:42
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Originally Posted by SixPin
I’m hearing from a number of different sources that more and more experienced British Captains are now working for US airlines.

Apparently, the US Citizen and Immigration Service have now included pilots on the list of those professions that qualify for ‘Employment Visas’ and are fast tracking applications.

Does anyone know the name of any of the agencies involved in recruiting UK pilots?
Do you mean USCIS? If so:

Every airline in the US is seniority based. If you get hired you start at the bottom of the list regardless of your experience.

Unless you know something I don't, the only visum for foreign pilot's is for OZ E3. I have not seen a single pilot giving proof of getting a EB2 NIW.

proof....

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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 04:25
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All the other Brit pilots I know and I are here with green cards, or have since become citizens. I know of nobody on a special visa.
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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 06:19
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If there was a way to get sponsored by a US airline, believe me Pprune would be the first to know about it, and there's nothing...
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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 13:39
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I flew to Denver last year with United and the cabin crew were all Brits and London based. I think the flight deck crew were brits too.
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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 15:47
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Originally Posted by dixi188
I flew to Denver last year with United and the cabin crew were all Brits and London based. I think the flight deck crew were brits too.
dixi,

Didn't know about the United London F/A base. The pilots could very well have been Brits but I find no mention of a London pilot base:

Domicile & Relocation

Upon completion of training, graduates are assigned to one of the United domiciles - Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington DC, Frankfurt, Guam, Hong Kong, London, and Narita.


https://www.avjobs.com/careers-direc...quirements.asp



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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 15:48
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Originally Posted by rudestuff
If there was a way to get sponsored by a US airline, believe me Pprune would be the first to know about it...
rudestuff,

You got that right !!
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Old 3rd Aug 2023, 23:05
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Originally Posted by dixi188
I flew to Denver last year with United and the cabin crew were all Brits and London based. I think the flight deck crew were brits too.
Possible. But none of them got a green card based on being brits and working in aviation.

Lots of Brits in the US, likely some would bid for UK trips. UAL had 727 pilots based in London decades ago, and has had FA based there too. But I have not seen a single European get preferential treatment from US immigration based on aviation as occupation. I would know, came here myself the old fashioned way (lottery for a few years, followed by marriage).
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Old 4th Aug 2023, 06:49
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Originally Posted by bafanguy
Didn't know about the United London F/A base. The pilots could very well have been Brits but I find no mention of a London pilot base:
The United London cabin crew base has its long history in the equivalent Pan Am base, taken over by United in 1991. I don't know if any onetime Pan Am staff remain there. They only fly London transatlantic flights and not domestic US ones.
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Old 4th Aug 2023, 18:50
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Has everyone taken the ATP exams?
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Old 4th Aug 2023, 20:09
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Originally Posted by Loose rivets
Has everyone taken the ATP exams?
There is only one ATP exam.
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Old 4th Aug 2023, 23:11
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Erm, okay. I suppose that's why it only took me an hour to complete it. Mid - late eighties. The allowed time was 6 hours.

I did spend 30 minuets writing a note explaining why the only question I later realised I must have got wrong, did not have a correct answer. According to a Braniff '72 instructor I overheard, "That's why nobody ever gets 100% on the ATP . . ." I've always wondered if that's what he meant. I wish I'd pushed into the conversation.
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Old 25th Feb 2024, 22:16
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Originally Posted by Chauderon
All the other Brit pilots I know and I are here with green cards, or have since become citizens. I know of nobody on a special visa.
Did you switch licenses from CAA to FAA? If so what was the process of that and the job hunt like for you?
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Old 27th Feb 2024, 13:57
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Originally Posted by Lady Speedbird
Boeing is sponsoring a visa for the 737 production test pilot positions at Renton. The technical pilot positions at Everett require a green card or citizenship, though. My husband is American and I am seriouslty considering making the jump to either Boeing or a Legacy carrier but coming from the 777-200 / 300ER I am not hopeful. Delta has gone Airbus, United is 50/50 on replacing the older 777s with A350-1000 and American is also leaning Airbus (except for the 300ERs)
Why do you think your 777 experience would work against you? You’ll be hired and trained on whatever fleet your seniority can hold. That’ll usually be a narrowbody. When you’re senior enough to hold a widebody, you can bid any one. Your previous experience will neither hurt nor help you once you’ve passed the interview.
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Old 27th Feb 2024, 19:32
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Lady S,

If hired at any union-represented US carrier, you will join at the bottom of the list...period. Your previous experience will have gotten you interviewed and offered a job. From that point, you'd be a new hire and go to whatever base and/or airplane your seniority (or relative lack thereof) will get you through the bid process.

One's relative seniority within a new hire class is established by age in some places and the last four numbers of your Social Security number in others depending on the airline.

If the airline continues hiring, more new hire classes will get added below you.

That's how it works here. Good luck in your choice.
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Old 27th Feb 2024, 21:36
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Originally Posted by Lady Speedbird
Thank you kindly for the additional input. Not much of a choice it seems. *sigh*
Lady S,

It's all about options. If you have the ability to work in the US, joining a legacy carrier...a lifetime position...is just an option.

Things here are done differently compared to EU. Not better or worse...just different. And apparently, it doesn't suit everyone. But that's okay.

Anecdotally, UAL new hires are getting B737 captain slots while in new hire training (sort of the same at Delta but not so drastic). This is unheard of. But it's because those pilots senior to them just don't want the position...for a variety of reasons. So to play out possibilities, as soon as those pilots senior to these new hire captains decide they now want those captain spots, the new hires will get pushed down perhaps into the RHS on some airplane on subsequent bid cycles.

Seniority is sacrosanct here.

Best of luck with your choices. Let us know what you decide.

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Old 28th Feb 2024, 00:22
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Originally Posted by Lady Speedbird
Thank you kindly for the additional input. Not much of a choice it seems. *sigh*
You may not want to be on the 777. Your relative seniority on the 777 will be a lot worse than on a narrowbody (or 757/767 in the case of United).

What that means is better schedule control, AND quite likely more money than someone with similar seniority on a 777, if desired.

The work rules you’ll find at US carriers will enable you to exercise far more control over your income than you’re accustomed to. So you don’t have to be on a 777 to earn what a 777 pilot makes.
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Old 28th Feb 2024, 05:40
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As a fellow EUr but now USr, I vastly prefer the american way. Yes, I will probably mean I will have to start at the bottom if I decide to switch companies (and after 10+ years I might). It does also mean that when I wil not have people come over above me and hurt my progress, This makes sure people are invested in making their own company better as opposed to trying to catch the bird in the air somewhere else. And the current T&C difference between the USA and the EEUU makes me believe the US is doing this one thing right. Unbelievable that the unions are stronger here than there......

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