glideslopealive

Hello,

I am a foreign pilot with a temporal resident visa (TRV) valid till December 2027. I hold an FAA ATP, Emb 145 PIC, B737 PIC and B1900 PIC, Total time 6050hrs. Please could i get some advise on which employers/companies/operators in Canada that may consider hiring me. I visit Canada regularly. My next visit will be in September this year to conclude the conversion of my FAA ATP certificate to TC ATPL. Thank you

canuckian

post your question to avcanada
I think there’s an east coast B1900 operator doing sponsorship for foreign pilots.

glideslopealive

okay i will. Thanks very much

Westcoaster59

Be aware that Canadian flying is a different animal than US flying. If you take a job with a smaller operator, especially one that serves the reserves, you are going to be pushed hard into completing flights with minimal resources. Prepare to be lied to about field conditions, iced over gravel strips, and having your pax searched for drugs. Self de-ice with improvised sprayers is a norm up there. Lots of guys taking off with frost and snow on the wings. Lots of crews ducking below mins. Crews afraid to disappoint the boss. Lying about duty time is commonplace. You'll be flying IFR without radar contact and depending on position reports (from other aircraft) once you start tracking far enough north. In many outstations, there's only limited weather, basically altimeter, wind, and temp (called LWIS if my memory serves). You'll be using a GFA for weather info, which can be wildly wrong.
The pilot shortage does not hit Canada as hard as the US as there has always been a surplus of pilots, hence the "push" attitude during the "good times."
The safety and basic protections in US Part 121 and Part 135, even at smaller carriers, is far better than what you'll get from Canadian 703 and 704 operators.

glideslopealive

Thank you so much westcoaster59 for the info. I will weigh my options carefully

Continuingappch

Carson Air in BC was willing to sponsor me but the pay just wasn't there. Seemed like a decent outfit...

Arnie Pye

Canadian pilots are grosly underpaid compared to anything else you'll find. If you're just starting out, yes, you will be pushed hard and there is always an implication that you'll find a way to get the trip done, legal or not.
When it comes to the Canadian airlines, most of the regionals (Jazz and Encore) begin in the low $40k CAD (35% less that USD). Air Canada is the pinacle of aviation in Canada and they only pay in the mid-$50k CAD (about $35k USD) and with any of the mentioned airlines you'll be living in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver. The cheapest of any of these cities is Calgary. Rent for a 1 bedroom unit in Calgary is $1700/month (about $500/month cheaper than the next cheapest city). By almost every metric, the cost of living in any of these cities is way more expensive than any city except for maybe NYC or LAX.
Don't get me started on our taxes up here. You'll be paying a margional rate of 52% in order to pay for that free healthcare we known for.

11atsomto

I dont know your situation but it sounds like you have family or other related interersts in Canada. Canada is a great place. Just not a great place to be a pilot. I Love Canada. I m married to a Canadian via Hong Kong. I was living in Vancouver and commuting to the US East Coast....which I had to stop doing in the pandemic. I also will confirm Arnie Pye's sentiment that I could only afford to live in the Vancouver area because I was employed by a US airline and compensated well. Canadian Dollars, American Dollars.....you are going to need a lot of dollars if you want to live in Toronto or Vancouver ..which seems like the only places foriegners wish to reside in (Montreal if from a Francophone country)
Don't get me wrong, I feel compared to US east Coast my children are much better off growing up in Canada.
Dont do the trendy new live paycheck to paycheck in Tornto or Vancouver....see if you can get hired at a US Airline and commute from Winnipeg or Halifax......and afford all the creature comforts. Just my 1.65 Indian Rupees or .02 CAD

glideslopealive

Thank you so much 11atsomto for your detailed analysis. Obviously the US is a better rewarding market for pilots than Canada. But it is extremely difficult or next to impossible to obtain the right to work or a green card in the US. That is why I am left with no option but that of Canada. I have tried to do that for almost 8yrs now. Any advice as to getting the right work and live in the US except by marriage is welcomed as I am already married.