Thanks, that's good to know. In Oceania (Australia/NZ/Pacific Islands) you can get what's called a frozen ATPL upon completion of all the necessary theory exams

Thanks, that's good to know. In Oceania (Australia/NZ/Pacific Islands) you can get what's called a frozen ATPL upon completion of all the necessary theory exams. You qualify to attempt the practical flight test to get a full unrestricted ATPL upon completing 1500 hours of (AFAIK) multi-engine jet time. You need an unrestricted ATPL to captain an airliner, and as a first officer on flights longer than X hours (where the captain is expected to leave his post to rest at some point). Source: not a pilot, but friends with a couple of them.