Pilots' Union Blocks Allegiant Move To Secure Green Cards, Leaving Foreign Hires In Limbo

Pilots' Union Blocks Allegiant Bid To Secure U.S. Residency For Foreign Hires

Allegiant Air's effort to obtain permanent residency for several dozen foreign pilots has been halted after the pilots' union refused to certify to the U.S. Department of Labor that the positions meet federally required "prevailing wage" standards. The decision leaves the pilots' green-card applications — and Allegiant's staffing plans — uncertain.

Union Objects To Pay And Working Conditions

Teamsters Local 2118 declined to provide the certification required for permanent labor approval, saying Allegiant's entry-level pilot pay for these roles starts at about $50,000 a year — roughly half of what first-year pilots earn at many other regional carriers. Instead of signing the needed paperwork, the union demanded Allegiant raise compensation to industry-standard levels and improve scheduling practices to reduce attrition.

"Because they're having such a hard time keeping and maintaining pilots at such a low wage," said Gregory Unterseher, director of the Airline Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "They had such a hard time in 2023 finding pilots, they actually started hiring visa pilots out of Chile on an H-1B1 because they promised them citizenship, a green card verbally to come fly in America for 50,000 bucks a year."

Allegiant Says Visa Hires Are A Supplement

Allegiant said it employs about 62 pilots from Chile, Australia and Singapore under H-1B1 and E-3 visa programs — about 4% of its roughly 1,345 pilots — and described overseas recruitment as a small supplement to broader U.S. hiring efforts. The airline told Reuters that all hiring practices comply with federal labor laws, FAA regulations and existing collective bargaining agreements.

In a letter to affected pilots, Allegiant warned that the union's refusal to provide the required documentation could delay their green-card timelines and said it "condemns the union's decision to harm you by refusing to provide the updated letter requested by the Department of Labor."

Immigration Uncertainty And Rising Attrition

The union said the dispute has left many foreign pilots unsure of their immigration status; some were advised not to leave the United States amid heightened enforcement under the current administration. Pilots and former pilots describe rising attrition at Allegiant, citing low pay, scheduling frustrations and a nearly 10-year-old labor contract as factors driving departures.

One former pilot, speaking anonymously, said first officers in their first year at Allegiant often earn less than flight attendants at major carriers or TSA agents. Pilots also noted that, as other carriers expanded hiring after the pandemic, more options became available and departures increased.

Operational Impact

Allegiant has publicly discussed ambitious growth plans — at one point referencing up to 1,400 additional destinations it could serve — but pilots say staffing shortfalls remain a major constraint to expansion. The impasse with the union underscores tensions over pay, recruitment practices and long-term workforce planning at a low-cost carrier facing competitive pressure to retain staff.

Reporting by Reuters; edited for clarity.