DannyJones

Right so sorry for being secretive as I wasn't too sure how much i could go into detail. I am a 18 year old seeking to be a pilot. I have flying under me and am now a solo student capable of flying by myself in a light aircraft but just need more tuition in order to achieve my full PPL. The way my potential employer started talking was over Facebook in a pilot group. I was simply asking for advice and telling him what experience qualifications I have etc. He went on to explain he's a pilot who has a lot of experience and is also a instructor. He has several companies which I have looked into ( all legit ) and has a new start up one in the aviation industry which does truly have a lot of potential. He asked me if i wanted to work for this start up company as the revenue is increasing massively now and projections are showing its going higher. They are looking at hiring individuals to start managing this company and assisting. With me it was agreed that in the short term work time could be paid for by flight hours and training along will living costs covered etc. I have not sent them any money and do not intend to. They have agreed to pay for a sponsor my visa. I have asked about visa and immigration lawyers and they have said how they are going to look into it. Qualifications wise I have 2 full level 3 diplomas in Teamwork & Management as well as Aeronautical Engineering.

Hotscot

That's better info Danny.
It still sounds risky as I'm sure they could get Americans if they needed admin/operations help.
I don't think they could even justify a employment visa application in this case given your age and inexperience. However I'm not sure if there are special considerations for the aviation industry.
It's not a matter generally of 'paying to sponsor', they have to make a case for you specifically and it can be a complex procedure.
Maybe it is legit and they're not aware of how difficult it is to get a visa.

You say it's a start up. Can you pleased indicate what service/product it offers?

This may or may not apply.
https://www.pea.com/blog/posts/stude...ing-in-the-us/
I do know someone from the UK who attends flight school near San Diego. He makes it part of his annual holiday.
But it seems on this type of visa you cannot work/be paid in kind.

DannyJones

Sounds like a bloody pain. Do you reckon it is still possible? Would it require a Immigration lawyer etc ?

materialcontroller

As already indicated, it is illegal for them to offer you lodging, tuition and flying hours in exchange for you carrying out work. Sounds as though they need advice from a reputable immigration attorney as to what is and isn't possible.

Good luck. I hope things work out for you.

Hotscot

Danny is it possible that you misinterpreted the facebook related exchange?
Perhaps this instructor was being generous and offering some flight hours in exchange for doing some work around the place.
That's not allowed, he may not even be aware, but can you please indicate if that may have been the case?

So perhaps the M1 visa would apply to you if you wanted to attend a legitimate flight school for training hours.
But you wouldn't be able to work either for money, food, lodging or services.

Here's some additional links.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-1_visa
https://www.pea.com/international-students/u-s-visas/
https://www.internationalstudent.com...-student-visa/

In my cursory examination it looks like you could fulfill the requirements for an M1 visa and you could apply in the UK.
Paperwork and £££ of course.

You would also need to show you have enough funds to cover your expenses in the US.
If you're really keen on this you could go on a study program at a USA university that provides routes to a career as a professional pilot. However, becoming a professional pilot, that's a very expensive thing to do as you need tons of flight hours and that costs. That's why many professional pilots are ex- Air Force, where they get training on the job.

Take your time and study this information.
Good luck!

scrubbedexpat099

I have a friend who is a Pilot, ex Navy, ex Major, now an instructor.

He also has another Business interest and was talking about bring somebody in from Europe who a friend had recommended.

He knew about J's and I think assumed the same, pointed out this guy did not qualify for a J and there was no other obvious option, anyway nothing ever happened.

Most people do not have a clue how Immigration works.

scot47

It does not matter how smart, sassy, talented and gifted you are. If you are a non-US ctizen, you need a visa.

ddsrph

steveq

I thinks its around $160(wet) per hour here

ddsrph

scrubbedexpat099

OP is not work authorised.

Noorah101

It can be a bloody pain getting a visa to the USA if you don't fit a very specific need or meet very specific criteria. It could still be possible, just depends on the circumstances. Yes, it will require the employer to consult with an immigration lawyer to sort out which visa they need to petition you for. Since the employer has agreed to "sponsor your visa application", and you've stated that they are looking into visas, then I assume they are consulting with immigration lawyers to determine which one you are suited for.

Rene

Noorah101

Danny,

So far you've talked about "diplomas" but not "degrees". In the USA, a degree is usually required for work visas. If one does not have a degree, then years of experience can substitute. You've stated that you have "quite a bit of experience", but at age 18 it can't be all THAT much? How many years of experience do you have? To make up for a the lack of a degree, USCIS usually requires 4 years per year of missing at University. So a lacking a 4-year degree would mean you'd need 12 years of experience.

Rene

sherbert

I'm confused by this. Why is Nooorah101's response appearing in "DannyJones"'s post?

materialcontroller

It isn't.

That was Danny's response to Rene.