A labour standoff in the United States could derail long-term career plans for dozens of Australian pilots flying for Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Local 2118) has refused to sign the prevailing-wage certification needed for the airline to convert its cohort of E-3 and H-1B1 visa-holders—62 aviators from Australia, Chile and Singapore—into permanent residents. Without union sign-off, Allegiant’s green-card applications cannot proceed, leaving foreign pilots in immigration limbo.
The clash highlights how workforce shortages that peaked after COVID-19 are now giving way to pay-equity battles. The union claims Allegiant wants to lock experienced pilots into below-market salaries (starting around US $50,000—about half typical regional-carrier rates) instead of improving wages to retain U.S. talent. Allegiant counters that visa recruitment remains a “small supplement” to its staffing model and says the union originally supported hiring foreign nationals in 2023 when the airline faced an acute pilot drain.
![U.S. pilots’ union stalls green-card pathway for Australian aviators at Allegiant Air]()
For Australian pilots, the impasse threatens both job security and a coveted pathway to U.S. permanent residency. Under the E-3 professional visa, Australians can live and work in the United States for two-year, renewable periods, but the status does not automatically lead to a green card. Allegiant’s offer of employer-sponsored residency was a key attraction during recruitment drives in Sydney and Brisbane.
Immigration lawyers say the dispute underscores a grey area in U.S. aviation: while federal rules allow airlines to hire foreign pilots under specialty-occupation visas, the process of transitioning to permanent residency requires union co-operation. “If a union withholds the wage attestation, the application is effectively dead on arrival,” notes Chicago-based attorney Erin O’Sullivan.
Australian carriers are watching closely. If the pilots are forced to return home, QantasLink and Regional Express—both coping with their own shortage of captains—could benefit. However, industry insiders fear the confrontation may chill future U.S. opportunities for Australian flight crews if airlines start seeing the E-3 pipeline as legally fraught.
The clash highlights how workforce shortages that peaked after COVID-19 are now giving way to pay-equity battles. The union claims Allegiant wants to lock experienced pilots into below-market salaries (starting around US $50,000—about half typical regional-carrier rates) instead of improving wages to retain U.S. talent. Allegiant counters that visa recruitment remains a “small supplement” to its staffing model and says the union originally supported hiring foreign nationals in 2023 when the airline faced an acute pilot drain.
For Australian pilots, the impasse threatens both job security and a coveted pathway to U.S. permanent residency. Under the E-3 professional visa, Australians can live and work in the United States for two-year, renewable periods, but the status does not automatically lead to a green card. Allegiant’s offer of employer-sponsored residency was a key attraction during recruitment drives in Sydney and Brisbane.
Immigration lawyers say the dispute underscores a grey area in U.S. aviation: while federal rules allow airlines to hire foreign pilots under specialty-occupation visas, the process of transitioning to permanent residency requires union co-operation. “If a union withholds the wage attestation, the application is effectively dead on arrival,” notes Chicago-based attorney Erin O’Sullivan.
Australian carriers are watching closely. If the pilots are forced to return home, QantasLink and Regional Express—both coping with their own shortage of captains—could benefit. However, industry insiders fear the confrontation may chill future U.S. opportunities for Australian flight crews if airlines start seeing the E-3 pipeline as legally fraught.
