Hi,

Apologies if this has been covered before, I've tried searching the forums but to no avail.

Quick question; do any airlines / regionals / corporates / flight schools, hire pilots from overseas and sponsor them for residency?

I'm Australian and currently working with Qantas on the A380. I have around 3500 hrs TT with time instructing in GA and on 737's, 380's in the airlines. My girlfriend and I both love the U.S. and we're canvasing all of the available options to immigrate.

Many thanks from the other side of the pacific,
Aussie.

 

Try these threads for starters:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/re...-hiring-4.html

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/re...gn-pilots.html

They are a bit old and not exactly on point, so I'm hoping someone will have better information.

 

Thanks Vagabond. Those threads were of some help.

Still hoping someone on here might be able to point me in the direction of some more direct information.

Cheers.

 

As far as I know (I have pretty good SA) no US airline will sponsor an immigrant. They have enough applicants as it is. That might change if the theoretical pilot shortage materializes here over the next few years...I personally don't believe in pilot shortages any more than the Easter Bunny, but if there was ever a time when the cold, hard numbers support the possibility this is it. Maybe regionals will sponsor visas if there's a pilot shortage.

The good news is that airlines have NO problem hiring anyone holding a green card, in fact there are surprising number of European and Commonwealth pilots at US airlines. So if you can get one of those...

Corporate aviation here is all about who you know. If it's a big enough operation and they like there's nothing to stop them from sponsoring you. But you probably don't know anyone here.

Flight schools will sponsor visas, but their pay and benefits are very poor.

In fact I imagine that you would be shocked at the pay/benefit packages at many US airlines...I would think real hard before leaving Qantas.

Maybe look at Cathay...you might eventually be able to get based in the US on the cargo side.

 

Recently naturalized U.S. citizen here... airlines or aviation companies currently do not sponsor visas for residencies to pilots. There are way too many pilot applicants for aviation jobs.

In order to sponsor a visa, the sponsoring company has to "prove to USCIS" that there is a shortage of applicants in the field. Flight schools sponsor visas but they are for flight training, not for US residencies or employment with airlines (read as 'green card holders' or 'U.S. citizens' only). You might find an employer who is having a hard time finding ground school instructors, or for some other aviation related job.. and they might sponsor an employment visa, but then you wouldn't be flying commercially in the US.

An employer would have to sponsor you twice (3+3 years), and after you've lived in the U.S. for 5 years, you would be eligible for a green card. If you got married to a U.S. citizen, or a green-card holder, they could sponsor you... but you have a girlfriend, so that's out. There's the green card lottery, if your country is eligible but I wouldn't hold out on that. Unfortunately, right now, your options are limited. If there's a massive shortage of pilots in the U.S. over the next few years, things might change.

 

Aussie,

Long story, short.......No chance.

You've only got one way of gaining the right to work in the US and that's to get a Green Card and contrary to public opinion, it's not easy to get one unless...

You marry an American citizen.
Immediate family member is a US citizen.
You have quite a bit of cash to invest in a US business.

Your options at the moment: EK or any of the Asia contracts.

Feel free to PM me. Just spent the last 11 years in the US and my other half is a Septic...