Hawdy ya'll
Just wondering if anyone has successfully done a US visa application? Which route did they take to acquiring it?
We are hearing lots about the NIW visa but haven't really heard of success stories- maybe a couple of people being either sponsored or have 1837493728464 hours in their logbook? I also did some meetings with multiple law firms and apparently they are all the best law firm to ever exist on earth- but when you ask them about their success stats with pilots suddenly they wiggle and twist their way around the answer. I mean, Your firm can easily have an 80% approval rate if most of your applicants are nurses. Or maybe I'm just ignorant.. I dont know.
No body likes a money grab when it comes to their hard earned money. Would love to hear some stories if anyone cares to share. Best of luck to you all
I literally had my interview at the US embassy yesterday. If you look at my post history, you can see I have been on this for about a year now.
I tried the Frontier route first, but they couldn't make visa work. Finally I know have it. (and a job on a wide body in US)
But yeah.. I have 5 figure logged hours and a half dozen type ratings; if you've been in the game 15-20 years you should get thru.
However if you have less than 7-8K and no 'significant' experience you may struggle.
Needswork2020 wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 6:56 am
I literally had my interview at the US embassy yesterday. If you look at my post history, you can see I have been on this for about a year now.
I tried the Frontier route first, but they couldn't make visa work. Finally I know have it. (and a job on a wide body in US)
But yeah.. I have 5 figure logged hours and a half dozen type ratings; if you've been in the game 15-20 years you should get thru.
However if you have less than 7-8K and no 'significant' experience you may struggle.
Good Luck.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm at 4000 hours with a few regional and airline type ratings. But I feel it's still a coin toss in my case, with the coin leaning more towards a no. Hope it all works out for all of us.
I was told that you need 10 years aviation work experience and a minimum 5000 hours to be considered for the EB-2 NIW. I was trying myself but am only at 3000 hours and 8 years experience so was being turned down by the more reputable law firms.
digits_ wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 3:07 pm
But why are you going through law firms? Why not apply yourself? The cost will be much lower. Why not try with 3000 hours yourself?
I was actually going to give it a shot although I think if I try myself there are probably lower odds of success.
digits_ wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 3:07 pm
But why are you going through law firms? Why not apply yourself? The cost will be much lower. Why not try with 3000 hours yourself?
I was actually going to give it a shot although I think if I try myself there are probably lower odds of success.
There shouldn't be. Who cares more about your future: you or a lawyer? I imagine there are quite a few people online that share their experiences.
I never did the US thing, but I see a lot of similarities with the Canadian system: people telling stories about expensive (sometimes incompetent) lawyers, while you can do everything yourself. The lawyer is often the middleman. Filling out the forms is usually fairly easy, it's finding all the correct required documents that can make it tricky, but a lawyer can't help you with that either.
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digits_ wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 3:07 pm
But why are you going through law firms? Why not apply yourself? The cost will be much lower. Why not try with 3000 hours yourself?
I was actually going to give it a shot although I think if I try myself there are probably lower odds of success.
There shouldn't be. Who cares more about your future: you or a lawyer? I imagine there are quite a few people online that share their experiences.
I never did the US thing, but I see a lot of similarities with the Canadian system: people telling stories about expensive (sometimes incompetent) lawyers, while you can do everything yourself. The lawyer is often the middleman. Filling out the forms is usually fairly easy, it's finding all the correct required documents that can make it tricky, but a lawyer can't help you with that either.
Exactly, from what I understand the big part of the application is finding the right evidence and portraying it in a way to prove that you are of national importance. I am not sure if I would know how to frame it because apparently using the pilot shortage card is not enough to get the visa approved.
I hope it works out for you guys. I know some nurses etc who have gone to work in the US and it was fairly easy for them. If that comes to our line of work I will be interested. As of now I am in the observing phase.
I was actually going to give it a shot although I think if I try myself there are probably lower odds of success.
There shouldn't be. Who cares more about your future: you or a lawyer? I imagine there are quite a few people online that share their experiences.
I never did the US thing, but I see a lot of similarities with the Canadian system: people telling stories about expensive (sometimes incompetent) lawyers, while you can do everything yourself. The lawyer is often the middleman. Filling out the forms is usually fairly easy, it's finding all the correct required documents that can make it tricky, but a lawyer can't help you with that either.
Exactly, from what I understand the big part of the application is finding the right evidence and portraying it in a way to prove that you are of national importance. I am not sure if I would know how to frame it because apparently using the pilot shortage card is not enough to get the visa approved.
I want to give it a try myself but I am not sure where to start. Where I get lost is what paperwork to include other than the required forms. For example, do I need to do a big letter explaining how I'm going to save the US etc...
If I can get my hands on a guide on what to include I will carefully put together an application and go for the hail mary.
Would be interesting.
There shouldn't be. Who cares more about your future: you or a lawyer? I imagine there are quite a few people online that share their experiences.
I never did the US thing, but I see a lot of similarities with the Canadian system: people telling stories about expensive (sometimes incompetent) lawyers, while you can do everything yourself. The lawyer is often the middleman. Filling out the forms is usually fairly easy, it's finding all the correct required documents that can make it tricky, but a lawyer can't help you with that either.
Exactly, from what I understand the big part of the application is finding the right evidence and portraying it in a way to prove that you are of national importance. I am not sure if I would know how to frame it because apparently using the pilot shortage card is not enough to get the visa approved.
I want to give it a try myself but I am not sure where to start. Where I get lost is what paperwork to include other than the required forms. For example, do I need to do a big letter explaining how I'm going to save the US etc...
If I can get my hands on a guide on what to include I will carefully put together an application and go for the hail mary.
Would be interesting.
I bought this DIY kit last summer: https://www.eb2niw.com/niw-do-it-yourself-kit/ . Not sure if it will help or not but I may just attempt to put something together using it and send it in.
Exactly, from what I understand the big part of the application is finding the right evidence and portraying it in a way to prove that you are of national importance. I am not sure if I would know how to frame it because apparently using the pilot shortage card is not enough to get the visa approved.
I want to give it a try myself but I am not sure where to start. Where I get lost is what paperwork to include other than the required forms. For example, do I need to do a big letter explaining how I'm going to save the US etc...
If I can get my hands on a guide on what to include I will carefully put together an application and go for the hail mary.
Would be interesting.
I bought this DIY kit last summer: https://www.eb2niw.com/niw-do-it-yourself-kit/ . Not sure if it will help or not but I may just attempt to put something together using it and send it in.
O wow that's cool. Is it a bunch of example documents they send you?
Remember the EB2 NIW visa is lottery based, the more experience and qualifications you have from the list of required qualifications, the higher chance of approval.
You must meet 3 of the required qualifications. Thousands of hours of PIC Airline time is highly favourable, a few thousand of right seat time in 704 or even 705 aircraft is may not be as favourable (During my interview they essentially discredited ANY SIC time).
Additionally, any management experience, particularly high level management can be extremely beneficial and qualify you for other visa's including the O1 which worked for me. If you have 5 years of experience in supervisory or management roles you can try for the TN (management consultant qualification), which is the fastest visa to obtain (1 week or less).
All this being said, if you plan on staying in the united states long term, the EB2 NIW is best option as you can apply without sponsorship or a job offer and leads to a green card.
The other above mentioned visas requires a job offer and sponsorship and are specific to that one assigned employer.
Also keep in mind once you have your FAA license, doors may open internationally.
Many N registered aircraft are base worldwide including Europe, Middle East, ands Asia.
For example after license conversion, I was quickly offered a heavy biz jet PIC position on a N registered jet in the middle east making an equivalent salary of 600K with most expenses paid, where as my USA employer offered 400K and and I had to cover my living expenses in the United States. Decisions decisions...
These mentioned positions do not require a USA Visa and could be a good option. Only problem is they are difficult to find and are generally not advertised. Its all about connections and who you know.
Approvals are coming in as per anecdotal experience.
I got my EB-2 approval in the beginning of the month.
The endless wait now for the green card.
You can try on your own. Plenty of tools and resources available on the interwebs to assist you in the process.
I used a law firm which delivered as promised. However, when I asked about their approval ratio they deftly changed the topic. And that was the same with all the firms I spoke to. I just picked the one that asked me the most questions about my experience and was charging the average amount.
highspeed wrote: ↑Wed May 31, 2023 1:04 pm
I got my EB-2 approval in the beginning of the month.
The endless wait now for the green card.
Does the EB2 give you the legal rights to work in the US while you wait for the green card?
Are you applying to companies there while you do all your licence conversions?
Cheers
highspeed wrote: ↑Wed May 31, 2023 1:04 pm
I got my EB-2 approval in the beginning of the month.
The endless wait now for the green card.
Does the EB2 give you the legal rights to work in the US while you wait for the green card?
Are you applying to companies there while you do all your licence conversions?
Cheers
EB2 is a green card. The poster isn't making sense with how they worded things. I presume they meant they got approved, but there's a wait time to get the actual card. But EB2 is a green card, it's permanent residency.
I bought this DIY kit last summer: https://www.eb2niw.com/niw-do-it-yourself-kit/ . Not sure if it will help or not but I may just attempt to put something together using it and send it in.
Are the recommend letters etc, fill in the blank type stuff or do they have you draft up something original? Harvey has had better success with having applicants write personal letters without much guidance. Apparently it's more genuine. Lawyer even told me they have sent stuff in without correcting spelling errors. Maybe I should send something written in crayon
I bought this DIY kit last summer: https://www.eb2niw.com/niw-do-it-yourself-kit/ . Not sure if it will help or not but I may just attempt to put something together using it and send it in.
Are the recommend letters etc, fill in the blank type stuff or do they have you draft up something original? Harvey has had better success with having applicants write personal letters without much guidance. Apparently it's more genuine. Lawyer even told me they have sent stuff in without correcting spelling errors. Maybe I should send something written in crayon
That should prove your qualifications as a pilot. That and maybe a handful of pink slips you've collected along the way.
