Some U.S. regional airlines are now sponsoring Canadians for the H1B Vis

[cdntous]

This may be of interest to some of you. See below attached email from pilot recruiter Katrina Leavitt of Air Wisconsin Airlines.

pilotrecruiting <pilotrecruiting@airwis.com>
RE: Sponsoring of Canadian Pilots

Thank you for your email. We are currently accepting some visas and could possibly offer the required assistant to sponsor your visa. If you need a H1B visa, this is done in April each year. Although our candidates for 2018 have already been selected, to be considered for 2019, please apply between October and December 2018. Please keep note the following:

1. You must successfully complete an interview for consideration as an First Officer with Air Wisconsin Airlines
2. At time of hire you must possess all FAA certifications and rating required by the FAA to operate as a commercial pilot
3. Prior to your start, you must obtain all legal work authorization documents qualifying your eligibility for work sponsorship
4. If you have not completed your ATP knowledge exam, you start training in our in-house CTP course that will provide you with the additional requirements (per FAA) to complete the ATP Knowledge exam
5. Your training can begin with as little as 1454 total flight time with all subcategory of time completed to the standard (Please visit our Pilot Calculator at www.airwis.com to see how much time you would need to gain)

A requirement of the position is the ability to travel in and out of the United States as we do fly to Canada. For a full list of requirements please see below. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks!

Katrina Leavitt
Recruiting Coordinator | Air Wisconsin Airlines

[cdntous]

Interesting times ahead for Canadian aviation, that's for sure!

[Cessna 180]

They're the only ones I know of. I've emailed a lot of them. I'll be applying later this year.

[cdntous]

[...] In the past, Mesa Airlines obtained most pilots through training programs run in partnership with educational institutions, or from online applications. “Now we’re spending millions of dollars, a ridiculous waste of resources,” on actively recruiting pilots. “We have 10 people just recruiting people,” said Ornstein. However, Mesa has developed a canny strategy. Where U.S.-trained pilots with 350 flying hours’ experience flock from the U.S. to find employment as first officers with the airlines of other countries that require only limited flying experience, Mesa has established pilot-recruiting offices in other countries. The offices recruit first officers from South America and Australia whose citizens can fulfill official requirements for U.S. working visas relatively easily—and the Middle East, where pilots may qualify for refugee status in the U.S. Recently Mesa has had success in recruiting pilots from all three areas, and pilots from other countries now represent a double-digit percentage of its total pilot complement.

[SuperchargedRS]

Canadians, taking the flying jobs Americans won't stoop low enough to take.

[cdntous]

Canadians, taking the flying jobs Americans won't stoop low enough to take.

1st-year pay at AWI is USD 76,000 or CAD 95,000. So you can make more than a fourth year AC FO as a first year AWI FO.
You'll also pay less taxes and live in a country with a lower cost of living.
If anyone is stooping low it's Canadian airline executives and the pilots who accept the worst pay in the G8 for our profession.

[SuperchargedRS]

Canadians, taking the flying jobs Americans won't stoop low enough to take.

1st-year pay at AWI is USD 76,000 or CAD 95,000. So you can make more than a fourth year AC FO as a first year AWI FO.
You'll also pay less taxes and live in a country with a lower cost of living.
If anyone is stooping low it's Canadian airline executives and the pilots who accept the worst pay in the G8 for our profession.

Per the CBA it's waaay less, you're counting non protected bonuses that come and go at the whims of management.

Also keep in mind there are more qualified pilots in the US than Canada, there IS A REASON they are trying to hire Canadians, because American pilots don't seem to think it's as great of a deal

[cdntous]

Per the CBA it's waaay less, you're counting non protected bonuses that come and go at the whims of management.

Also keep in mind there are more qualified pilots in the US than Canada, there IS A REASON they are trying to hire Canadians, because American pilots don't seem to think it's as great of a deal

Even a piece of trash ULCC like Spirit Airlines pays their 12-year captains more than AC does for NB flying.
The worst deal in the U.S. is still better than the best deal in Canada. What does it matter what the Americans think?

[skypirate88]

Was on a Mesa flight last week. Captain was making triple time. He made 20k in January with 14 days work. Not to bad to fly an RJ around

[groundpilot]

Not trying to turn this into the 20th degree vs non degree bun fight on AvCanada but from the Air Wisconsin web site:

Graduation from accredited four year college preferred

[SuperchargedRS]

Even a piece of trash ULCC like Spirit Airlines pays their 12-year captains more than AC does for NB flying.
The worst deal in the U.S. is still better than the best deal in Canada. What does it matter what the Americans think?

Well with it being THEIR COUNTRY and all, their opinion is probably somewhat important.

Also by taking low flying paying jobs that Americans don't want, it undermines the lesson these crap carriers are finally starting to learn.

Maybe if Canadian pilots refused to be treated like crap like their American counterparts and made Canadian airlines feel it, like they do in America, there wouldn't be the issues there are in Canada.

Not trying to turn this into the 20th degree vs non degree bun fight on AvCanada but from the Air Wisconsin web site:

Graduation from accredited four year college preferred

Yeah, they really don't care about degrees, especially right now.
ATP mins and a pulse

[cdntous]

Maybe if Canadian pilots refused to be treated like crap like their American counterparts and made Canadian airlines feel it, like they do in America, there wouldn't be the issues there are in Canada.

You're talking about a pilot population which once believed that chucking bags for 2 years in Norman Wells was the honourable way to make it into the right seat of a Navajo to make close to minimum wage. A practice that does not occur in any other first world country, perhaps not even third world.

I'll take my chances in the U.S.

[complexintentions]

Maybe if Canadian pilots refused to be treated like crap like their American counterparts and made Canadian airlines feel it, like they do in America, there wouldn't be the issues there are in Canada.

Errr...no. It wasn't that long ago that American pilots were absolutely getting treated like crap and having to take it. Regional pilots on food stamps, anyone? It's only a convergence of factors favouring pilots at the moment that is producing the much improved conditions. Not pilots "refusing to be treated like crap".

Seems to me that taking a much better-paying US job is one way for Canadians to show they aren't going to be "treated like crap" by Canadian operators...?

Even a piece of trash ULCC like Spirit Airlines pays their 12-year captains more than AC does for NB flying.
The worst deal in the U.S. is still better than the best deal in Canada. What does it matter what the Americans think?

Exactly. Or Canadian pilots, or anyone for that matter. Who makes employment decisions based on what other people might think? Sheesh.

Standing by for the usual whimpering about how it's so horrible living in the US though, Trump/guns/crime/murder/danger/poverty/health care oooh..

But the fact they are even floating the possibility of visas is very interesting indeed.

[cdntous]

Errr...no. It wasn't that long ago that American pilots were absolutely getting treated like crap and having to take it. Regional pilots on food stamps, anyone? It's only a convergence of factors favouring pilots at the moment that is producing the much improved conditions. Not pilots "refusing to be treated like crap".

Even at the worst of times in the US, regionals were still hiring albeit at ~ 22,000/year Canadian.
What happened during the worst of times in Canada? 3-5 year ramp waits, people paying for Navajo PPCs, offering to work for free, 5000 hours to fly a DHC-8 if you're lucky, and long, long mostly unsuccessful road trips.

[Panama Jack]

Last year while at Air Venture I went around to the different regional airline stands with my resumé, just to see what the reaction would be. I would have walked away with numerous job offers had my immigration status in the US been different. Air Wisconsin in particular mentioned that they have done a few sponsorships, and would be willing to entertain the idea "for the right candidate". However, as in Canada, some people including a few management pilots I met at the career fair are seemingly hostile to the idea of hiring "foreigners" as they see this as lowering the bar and adversely affecting their bargaining position. "Security concerns" is one polite explanation that was cited.

Immigration requirements is one type of barrier that provides economics from taking its course. In the case of Canada, I believe it is more of a detriment than benefits to pilots, especially if we were to entertain the concept of reciprocal agreements. Canadian pilots have gone overseas and this has benefited them in numerous ways. I believe that open immigration with the US would benefit Canadian pilots (both those who leave and remain) while creating little, if any, adverse affect for US pilots. However, I believe it would cause dread in the Canadian aviation industry, which has benefited and been sustained for decades on highly-qualified, low-cost labor.

[StudentPilot]

It's about time. Several US regionals have been employing Australians on visas for 2+ years already from what I have read.

[fish4life]

Even if the US hired every pilot in Canada it probably still wouldn’t fill every seat they need over the next 5-10 years

[shamrock104]

If it happens it could be great for Pilots. A 2 year visa, some great experience, on return to Canada compnies will need to pay more for that talent and perhaps Pilots will no longer have to load suitcases for a couple of years.

[dhc#]

If things ever opened up in the US for CDN pilots so many would head south, it could cripple the supply of pilots in Canada....its not beyond the realm of possibility that Canadian carriers are already lobbying both gov'ts behind the scenes to prevent this from ever happening.

[eyebrow737]

If things ever opened up in the US for CDN pilots so many would head south, it could cripple the supply of pilots in Canada....its not beyond the realm of possibility that Canadian carriers are already lobbying both gov'ts behind the scenes to prevent this from ever happening.

Sounds like anti-competitive behavior bordering on....

indentured servant
noun
a person who is bonded or contracted to work for another for a specified time, in exchange for learning a trade or for travel expenses (as to America)