ShyGuy

You guys are being trolled hard. No way can someone be that dense. “I hear what you’re saying, but I’ll only hear what I want to” never works out well for these types.

dera

I'm replying like I would to anyone asking these questions, if for nothing else, but for someone who searches these topics later.

Here's the 411: If you don't have a current right to live and work in the US, you will not get a pilot job here. Apart from VERY few exceptions at a few regionals.

And if you think you'll get a work visa by "having a work offer", you're wrong.

BA320

Interesting!! Thank you for sharing.

deftone

Hey, US immigrant here (and now US Citizen). First of all, SSN and TSA clearance have nothing to do with having a right to work in the US. Plus visas are not issued based on offer letters, an employer would need to sponsor you, in itself a quite expensive and time consuming task. Coming to work in the US just won't work out for you if you insist on following this path. If your girl is a citizen then that is a guaranteed path to your green card. When I got mine it took around 6 months.

FullFlaps

I am currently in flight school.

What if you are a citizen and wanted to explore getting to 1,500 hours overseas as an FO and then coming back to the US? I would be willing to pay for the type rating on my own if need be. There have been a few threads of people that have flown in the middle east or asia and have come back to fly for the majors, I do not know what their experience was before working overseas.

What FAR's cover this?

rickair7777

I know several guys who came back from overseas to work for majors. All were dual citizens, had mostly grown up in the US, some had previous US regional time, and one had been a CA overseas.

They had all been overseas about ten years, had narrowbody or WB experience, and plenty of jet time.

You don't need to buy an FAA type, US airlines will all provide that training.

If you're looking at getting into the regionals, that should be no problem as long as you have a US CPL, 1500 hours, and right to work.

FrankM

Hello guys, as there's a pilot shortage coming up after Corona I'm interested to relocate to the US. As I 'm neither US citizen nor have a green card yet I'm considering to apply for an EB-2 with national interest waiver. Does anyone has any experience?

rickair7777

I have not heard of any pilots using that category, and I think it's highly unlikely that it would succeed.

The EB-2 appears to be targeted towards people with very high academic credentials and work experience such that they can serve as leaders in the advancement of their fields. Or people like world class performing artists.

While many pilots might tend to imagine themselves as being that special, we are really just cogs in the machine (expensive cogs perhaps, made of special metals requiring a lengthy machining process).

If the pilot shortage got bad enough (*sustained* significant airline schedule or economic disruption), they might open up a specific work-visa category for pilots from many or even all foriegn nations. But we're not there yet, the only thing close is the special work visa for Australians which includes pilots in it's scope.

Europil0t

Just to clarify: there have been rumours about a working permit application via EB2-NIW now being open for professional pilots. Haven't found anything official though, so I am not sure whether US airlines and unions even are aware or have heard about it.

Anyway, despite holding at least the three necessary requirements I'm quite sure regular pilots (me e.g. having been on A320 for ten consecutive years) are not considered to be of national interest. Beyond that, holding a work permit is just one of many steps such as relocating, converting licenses and starting at seniority zero.

Still I do understand and feel the desperation in Europe, especially when comparing air traffic markets and watch companies struggling with Covid regulations and wasting tax money.

rickair7777

They would be aware of it. The government does not usually take unilateral actions without coordinating with or informing industry and labor stakeholders.