Canadian living in the U.S. getting the boot...

[chickn_wings]

I’m a Canadian citizen living in the United states for 19 years under TPS (Temporary Protected Status), earlier this year the Trump administration decided to end that program. That action has gotten some pushback and its under review in court but if that action stays I have to leave the country by September 2019. I got my associates degree and did all my flight training in the U.S. and I am now getting my flight hours doing aerial surveying. I have talked to some regional airlines here and it seems like even if TPS stays I won’t be able to be hired since my visa is “temporary”. I don’t know what to do, the easiest thing for me to do is go back to Canada and convert my licenses but I’ve heard pilots in Canada would kill to be able to work in the U.S. Another option would be to forget about the airlines and become a corporate pilot instead. How bad would it be for me to just go the easy way and go to Canada? Would it be easy for me to be hired at a regional with 1500 hours? Any advice is appreciated…

[complexintentions]

Temporary protected status (also called "TPS") is a temporary status given to eligible nationals of designated countries who are present in the United States. The status, afforded to nationals from some countries affected by armed conflict or natural disaster, allows persons to live and work in the United States for limited times. Currently, persons from ten countries—Haiti, El Salvador, Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nicaragua; and South Sudan—have temporary protected status. About 320,000 people have TPS as of 2017, the majority from El Salvador (195,000), Honduras (57,000), and Haiti (46,000).

- How does a Canadian citizen qualify for a TPS visa?

- Corporate flying has same immigration requirements as an airline job. Or any job in the US.

- Can 19 years anywhere really be considered "temporary"?

[schnitzel2k3]

Why, in that time, did you not consider becoming a permanent resident?

I'm not a Trumpian by any stretch, but I sort of see why people would be angry at people abusing a temporary permit and kicking them out. Sorry, might be time to come home and regroup. Life's not terrible up here aviation wise.

S.

[aeroncasuperchief]

Aviation or otherwise, America is there to be used and abused ! It is when someone tries to enforce the laws for the good of Americans that the freeloaders and abusers rise up and demand everything they are not entitled to!

[chickn_wings]

Temporary protected status (also called "TPS") is a temporary status given to eligible nationals of designated countries who are present in the United States. The status, afforded to nationals from some countries affected by armed conflict or natural disaster, allows persons to live and work in the United States for limited times. Currently, persons from ten countries—Haiti, El Salvador, Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nicaragua; and South Sudan—have temporary protected status. About 320,000 people have TPS as of 2017, the majority from El Salvador (195,000), Honduras (57,000), and Haiti (46,000).

- How does a Canadian citizen qualify for a TPS visa?

- Corporate flying has same immigration requirements as an airline job. Or any job in the US.

- Can 19 years anywhere really be considered "temporary"?

I a have dual citizenship (El Salvador/Canada), and I'm authorized to work in the U.S. The only problem the regionals have here is that its "temporary". Its no different than a H1b visa other than TPS is temporary.

[chickn_wings]

Why, in that time, did you not consider becoming a permanent resident?

I'm not a Trumpian by any stretch, but I sort of see why people would be angry at people abusing a temporary permit and kicking them out. Sorry, might be time to come home and regroup. Life's not terrible up here aviation wise.

S.

There's no pathway to permanent resident from TPS. TPS is intended to protect foreign nationals in the U.S. from being returned to their home country if it became unsafe during the time they were in the U.S. and would put them at risk of violence, disease, or death. I was brought here when I was a kid by my parents and had no say in their decisions. This is the only country that I've have know, where all my friends and family are so thats why its a little hard for me to fully grasp the idea of moving to Canada.

Im a Canadian/Salvadoran citizen and thats how I'm benefiting from TPS.

[Lightchop]

Use your Canadian citizenship and apply at places like Commutair and Air Wis. They sponsor.

[Lightchop]

What's your experience? Do you have an ATPL? If you don't you might be better off in Canada anyways since we don't have the ATPL rule here.

[chickn_wings]

Use your Canadian citizenship and apply at places like Commutair and Air Wis. They sponsor.

Thanks, I’ll take a look at that.

[chickn_wings]

What's your experience? Do you have an ATPL? If you don't you might be better off in Canada anyways since we don't have the ATPL rule here.

I’ve been doing aerial surveying for a year.
I don’t have my ATPL
900 Hrs TT all single engine
850 pic

[Lightchop]

What's your experience? Do you have an ATPL? If you don't you might be better off in Canada anyways since we don't have the ATPL rule here.

I’ve been doing aerial surveying for a year.
I don’t have my ATPL
900 Hrs TT all single engine
850 pic

So you're not that far off from qualifying in the us. Alternately I'd say with your time you'd find it fairly easy to get a job at Jazz or a good 704/705 company like Wasaya or Calm Air.

[JBI]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your situation. I am a Canadian currently residing in the US for my wife's job and I constantly worry that we'll have to move based on a later night twitter rant by the President! Please ignore some of the above posts. While Canadians have a reputation of being polite, I don't think that necessarily extends to anonymous internet forums.

All that being said, the aviation industry in Canada is doing well right now. Depending on the type of time you have, you should have no problem getting hired at a regional airline in Canada with 1500 or less hours. As a previous poster above mentioned, Canada does not have a "1500 hour Rule". Technically, to fly as a First Officer on a transport category airline you only need a Commercial Pilot Licence, 250 hours and have passed a written (multiple choice) test called the IATRA. Although there are exceptions (which are becoming more of the norm), the regionals do like to see IFR time and/or turbine time. So 1500 hours of straight single engine VFR 'may' not quite be enough. However, I do know that some regionals have started hiring solely VFR instructors, so it's probably not impossible.

Unlike 5-10 years ago when circumstances were reversed, Canadian regionals do pay less than US regionals - I wouldn't say the difference is that significant especially considering that once you've been residing in Canada for 3 months you're covered under Canadian healthcare and the US Health Insurance isn't taken off your pay. The only big negative at the moment is that none of them are offering big signing bonuses like some of the US regionals currently are.

It's not too hard to switch your FAA license to a Transport Canada licence so it's a process I'd start on sooner rather than later. In the meantime, keep building up hours and see if your American girlfriend wants to get married. After Trump was elected my Canadian wife got proposed to by a couple of Americans - Canadian citizenship is something that appeals to many Americans at the moment!

[chickn_wings]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your situation. I am a Canadian currently residing in the US for my wife's job and I constantly worry that we'll have to move based on a later night twitter rant by the President! Please ignore some of the above posts. While Canadians have a reputation of being polite, I don't think that necessarily extends to anonymous internet forums.

All that being said, the aviation industry in Canada is doing well right now. Depending on the type of time you have, you should have no problem getting hired at a regional airline in Canada with 1500 or less hours. As a previous poster above mentioned, Canada does not have a "1500 hour Rule". Technically, to fly as a First Officer on a transport category airline you only need a Commercial Pilot Licence, 250 hours and have passed a written (multiple choice) test called the IATRA. Although there are exceptions (which are becoming more of the norm), the regionals do like to see IFR time and/or turbine time. So 1500 hours of straight single engine VFR 'may' not quite be enough. However, I do know that some regionals have started hiring solely VFR instructors, so it's probably not impossible.

Unlike 5-10 years ago when circumstances were reversed, Canadian regionals do pay less than US regionals - I wouldn't say the difference is that significant especially considering that once you've been residing in Canada for 3 months you're covered under Canadian healthcare and the US Health Insurance isn't taken off your pay. The only big negative at the moment is that none of them are offering big signing bonuses like some of the US regionals currently are.

It's not too hard to switch your FAA license to a Transport Canada licence so it's a process I'd start on sooner rather than later. In the meantime, keep building up hours and see if your American girlfriend wants to get married. After Trump was elected my Canadian wife got proposed to by a couple of Americans - Canadian citizenship is something that appeals to many Americans at the moment!

Thank you JBI, seeing responses like this makes me feel better about the idea of moving back to Canada. Some responses have been harsh but I do understand where they're coming from. Not a lot of people have even heard of TPS nor understand it so people thinking Im abusing the system is quite understandable. Like you said, you never know what will happen with this administration, who knows they might pass the DREAM Act and I might be able to stay. I just want to stay ahead and be prepared for everything that might happen. Im going to start the process of getting my medical soon since I've heard that takes a while to get. Thanks again for the lengthy and informative response.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

You don’t think the pay is that different? What does Jazz pay? $27,000usd?
A friends son got hired at a commuter down there as soon as he got his 1500hrs. $80,000usd to start and guaranteed captain salary after a year regardless of whether or not he makes captain.
Don’t kid yourselves.
Sorry about your luck, OP, you would have been way better off if you could have remained in the USA.

[RatherBeFlying]

You really need to consult with a US immigration attorney. Possibly you could apply for a green card from Canada.

Most important is not getting any black marks on your USCIS record; so be out of the US and make very sure that your departure from the US is recorded with USCIS if your US immigration attorney can't pull a rabbit out of the hat.

If you drive across the border, there's a chance that your departure will not be recorded.

[cncpc]

I don’t know what to do, the easiest thing for me to do is go back to Canada and convert my licenses but I’ve heard pilots in Canada would kill to be able to work in the U.S.

Well, you've heard wrong. I doubt there is a single pilot in Canada who would kill anyone to be able to work in the US. Wondering when the knock on the door was going to come, and extradition back to wherever the murder was committed.

FFS, man, read what you write.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

I don’t think he literally meant it. Take it easy

[Lightchop]

You don’t think the pay is that different? What does Jazz pay? $27,000usd?
A friends son got hired at a commuter down there as soon as he got his 1500hrs. $80,000usd to start and guaranteed captain salary after a year regardless of whether or not he makes captain.
Don’t kid yourselves.
Sorry about your luck, OP, you would have been way better off if you could have remained in the USA.

What regional is paying $80k to start? And no, not including signing bonus or per diems.

[schnitzel2k3]

Somewhat impolite sure, but I don't quite understand how 19 years is temporary. Now that he expanded on his Salvadorian background things make a little more sense as to how he got the temporary status. There must be a way to transition logically from TPS to full green card or citizen.

I wasn't wrong either, aviation wise, things are getting good up here. U.S majors are a few leaps ahead of Canada, but that's not to say the opportunities are completely stale.

Make sure you look at regionals that sponsor and feed into the majors, Delta, American or United if that's the direction you want to go. I hear the fractionals are paying very well and you can base pretty much near any major hub.

Good luck.



S.

[JBI]

You don’t think the pay is that different? What does Jazz pay? $27,000usd?
A friends son got hired at a commuter down there as soon as he got his 1500hrs. $80,000usd to start and guaranteed captain salary after a year regardless of whether or not he makes captain.
Don’t kid yourselves.
Sorry about your luck, OP, you would have been way better off if you could have remained in the USA.

US Regionals do pay more. Would I consider it 'significantly' more? No.

Generally speaking, trying to convert CAD to USD is somewhat moot as you pay for things in Canada in CAD and in the US in USD. While it does factor in as the price of some commodities in the US are lower, there are so many variables that simply saying what Jazz pays in USD doesn't make sense. Sure the US, generally, has lower income tax, but the highest paying regionals (Endeavor, Republic and to a lesser extent CommutAir (high signing bonus)) all have bases in large cities like NYC and Washington which have quite a high cost of living and NYC even has a City income tax in addition to state and federal taxes). On top of that, the average cost of health insurance with a US regional is between $300 and $700 per month depending the plan you choose and whether you have a spouse and/or dependents.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely benefits to flying for a regional in the US vs. a regional in Canada. But there are also benefits to flying for a regional in Canada instead of in the US. While the signing bonuses are pretty impressive, I still say the pay, especially over the long term, isn't 'significantly' higher down here.