Dragon - wrong. I am reading it, and understanding it. Perhaps, though, I am not explaining myself well enough. I fully accept that these particular pilots may have the right already to live and work in the UK, as many do. Furthermore, I have nothing against Australians.

What I am concerned about is whether the various hoops we have to jump through to work over there are the same as the hoops they have to go through to have the right to work here. Fair question?

Well having spent most of my career abroad and now in the uk i think the industry here needs more aussie and immigrant pilots to dilute the old boy net stangle hold on the industry. (as an example the non qualified airtours chap who got where he did before being found out as he put a certain military flying organisation on his resume. That must have automatically exempted him from a background check.)brit pilots are disadvantaged more by that than immigrants.
As for Balpa well nuf said

Hugmonster... believe me, the difference is chalk and cheese. Converting a UK or JAR ATPL to an Australian one is relatively simple and inexpensive. (a couple of exams + a IR renewal in any multi engine aircraft, + medical) From Australia to the UK is a different thing. Now, I don't know what validation these guys are on. However, either way, if they want to stay on beyond the 6 months I would say that they would have to do the 14 exams (minimum).
The usual 12 month validation that has been used in the past still meant that they had to do the UK exams, settle in a new country, learn new procedures and often a/c type. That ain't easy.

I am sure BE looked around for current CRJ pilots that they could employ quickly and for a 6 month contract.

Well said BIK!!

BTW Huggy - getting over here is cheaper to NZ - 3yrs on a residency visa and you can apply for citizenship, which because of the Trans Tasman agreement, means you can freely work in either NZ or Oz (so long as you don't want to claim benefits)

Perhaps you should have a look somewhere more opem minded than the UK (and I am British!) - the Euro springs to mind here....

Why do so many otherwise interesting threads descend into a personal slagging match ? If you were all in a bar having the same conversation you would be much more polite to each other. Just because we are all anonymous on Pprune, should not mean we forget our basic manners.

Right, putting the soap box away now...

The question I have about all this is: is it good for the UK's economy to employ people from abroad ? Not all of the money foreigners are paid will be recycled into the UK coffers. The UK will also have to spend more on paying dole to unemployed brits.