Originally Posted by
AC560
So undercut engineer and scientist pay but not yours, got it!
Back in my CFI days, I flew with a non-NASA astronaut from a different country, but he worked for NASA here in the States and contributed to research. He previously did two missions on the ISS.
He was the most interesting and brilliant person I've ever met and I guarantee his pay was not being undercut. In fact, NASA was/is probably paying premium to have him.
There's nothing remarkable about holding an ATP, so yes work visas for foreigners should only be for those with something great or unique to contribute to society, not run of the mill pilots.