Overseas-qualified professionals: the search for professional re-entry and its perceived impact on settlement

Abstract

Gaining recognition of overseas qualifications represents a major barrier for skilled migrants in Australia and is a primary cause of underemployment. While recent immigration policy initiatives have had some positive impacts on labour market outcomes among skilled migrants, the challenges posed by qualifications recognition remain and skill under-utilisation is a significant issue, particularly for migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The recent Australian literature on skilled migrants focuses predominantly on broader labour market trends and there is little qualitative research that has explored the labour market experiences of these migrants, or the perceived impact of their experiences on settlement. This exploratory study aims to address this gap by focusing on the subjective experiences of overseas-qualified professionals seeking professional re-entry in Australia. Specifically the research focuses on their search for qualifications recognition and skill utilisation, and the perceived impact of this search on settlement. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the study targeted migrants with qualifications and work experience in legally-regulated professions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 CALD overseas-qualified professionals in southeast Queensland. These interviews elicited an in-depth account of their search for professional re-entry, together with their perceptions of how these experiences had affected their settlement. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which was guided by a conceptual framework that draws together aspects of recognition theory, cultural and social capital. The findings suggest that regardless of outcome, the majority of participants perceived that their search for professional re-entry had been to some extent negative. The search for registration was often characterised by the need for participants to make significant investments of time, money and effort. Despite such investments, many participants perceived that the design and implementation of the qualifications recognition process restricted their ability to demonstrate their linguistic and professional competence. Over half the participants had managed to gain registration, an outcome that represented formal recognition of their professional status. Registration itself, however, did not ensure skill utilisation, and professional re-entry was dependent upon gaining informal recognition in the labour market. In response to challenges encountered in the search for work, participants described a range of strategies they used to develop their employability. Despite these efforts, only six of the 20 participants had achieved professional re-entry at the time of interview. Participants’ perceptions of how their search for professional re-entry had affected their settlement were inextricably linked with their understandings of settlement. Participants understood settlement as a sense of security and belonging, which could be facilitated by meaningful work. Those who failed to gain professional re-entry experienced the loss of their profession and many perceived that the psychological impacts of this loss, and the associated skill under-utilisation, had in turn affected their settlement. A small number of participants also reported that their loss of profession had undermined their desire to settle. Nonetheless, most participants expressed a desire to stay in Australia. Despite the absence of meaningful work and the psychological impacts of the loss of their profession, many participants actively pursued settlement through attempts to develop alternative careers, or by focusing on the positive aspects of their new lives, whilst retaining optimism and hope for the future. Through its specific focus on the subjective experiences of skilled migrants, this study makes an important contribution to the Australian literature. The research highlights particular issues facing migrants who must seek registration prior to seeking skilled work, while its qualitative approach reveals the nuances of individual experiences in relation to skill under-utilisation and settlement. The findings also have a number of implications for policy. For immigration policy, the research lends support to other studies that have highlighted the centrality of effective mechanisms for qualifications recognition within an immigration program that targets skilled migration. In terms of qualifications recognition the study highlights the need for alternative forms of assessment to support overseas-qualified professionals to demonstrate their professional and linguistic competence. Finally, this thesis challenges the assumption underlying current settlement policy that skilled migrants with high levels of human capital and English proficiency need little assistance to settle in Australia. The study concludes that targeted settlement assistance has the potential to improve professional re-entry outcomes, which would allow skilled migrants to achieve settlement through meaningful work.