Abstract
Existing studies have elaborated on personal and structural factors that shape the prevalent reality of occupational dislocation, underemployment, and unemployment among foreign-trained immigrant professionals. Complementing the current literature, this study explores how some immigrants manage to re-establish themselves as professionals in Canada. Drawing on in-depth interviews with six immigrant professionals from various immigrant cohorts, countries of origin, professions, and of both sexes, this study examines the professional re-entry process and describes how immigrant professionals address pre-migration preparation, postmigration individual challenges, and post-migration structural challenges. It further elaborates on factors that influence the efforts of immigrant professionals to reestablish themselves professionally in Canada. The theoretical and service and policy implications are also examined.
Résumé
Les études actuelles approfondissent des facteurs personnels et structuraux qui façonnent la réalité du déplacement professionnel, le sous-emploi et le chômage chez les immigrants professionnels formés à l’étranger. Venant compléter la documentation courante, cette étude examine la façon dont certains immigrants réussissent à se rétablir professionnellement au Canada. Puisant dans des entrevues approfondies auprès de six immigrant(e)s professionnel(le)s tiré(e)s de diverses cohortes d’immigrants, des professions variées et divers pays d’origine, cette étude se penche sur le processus de la réintégration professionnelle et décrit la façon dont les immigrants professionnels abordent la préparation à l’immigration, les défis individuels et les défis structuraux qui surviennent après l’immigration. De plus, elle expose en détail les facteurs qui influencent les efforts consacrés par les immigrants professionnels à leur rétablissement au Canada. Finalement, on évalue les incidences théoriques et les répercussions sur les politiques et les services.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberta Task Force on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (ATFRFQ). (1992). Bridging the gap: A report of the task force on the recognition of foreign qualifications. Edmonton, AB: Government of Alberta.
Althauser, R.P., Kallerberg, A.L. (1981). Firms, occupations, and the structures of labor markets: A conceptual analysis. In I. Berg (Ed.), Sociological perspectives on labour markets (pp. 119–52). New York: Academic Press.
Aycan, Z., & Berry, J. (1996). Impact of employment-related experiences on immigrants’ psychological well-being and adaptation to Canada. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 28, 240–251.
Badets, J., & Howatson-Leo, L. (1999, spring). Recent immigrants in the workforce. Canadian Social Trends, 16–22.
Basavarajappa, K., & Verma, R. (1990). Occupational composition of immigrant women. In S.S. Halli, F. Trovato, & L. Driedger (Eds.), Ethnic demography, Canadian immigrant, racial and cultural variations (pp. 297–313). Ottawa: Carleton University Press.
Basran, S.G., & Zong, L. (1998). Devaluation of foreign credentials as perceived by visible minority professional immigrants. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 30(3), 6–23.
Bauder, H. (2003). “Brain abuse,” or the devaluation of immigrant labour in Canada. Antipode, 35(4), 699–717.
Becker, G. (1975). Human capital (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Bonacich, E. (1979). The past, present, and future of split labor market theory. In C.B. Marrett & C. Leggon (Eds.), Research in race and ethnic relations (pp. 17–64). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Boyd, M. (1985). Immigration and occupational attainment in Canada. In M. Boyd, J. Goyder, E.F. Jones, A.H. McRoberts, C.P. Pineo, & J. Porter (Eds.), Ascription and achievement: Studies in mobility and status attainment in Canada. Ottawa: Carleton University Press.
Boyd, M. (1992). A matter of degree and major issues: Immigrants, educational credentials and economic correlates. Paper presented at the Canadian employment research forum workshop on immigration, Hull, Quebec.
Calleja, D., & Alnwick, J. (2000). Right skills, wrong country. Canadian Business 73(12), 34–39.
Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. In N. Denzin & S.Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 509–535). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Chiswick, R.B., & Miller, W.P. (1988). Earnings in Canada: The roles of immigrant generation, French ethnicity, and language. Research in Population Economics, 6, 183–228.
Chiswick, R.B., & Miller, W.P. (2002). Immigrant earnings: Language skills, linguistic concentration and the business cycle. Journal of Population Economics, 15(1), 31–58.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada. (2003). Facts and figures 2002: Immigration overview. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services.
Doeringer, P.B., & Piore, M.J. (1971). Internal labor markets and manpower analysis. Lexington, MA: D.C. Health.
Dunlop, J.T. (1988). Labor markets and wage determination: Then and now. In B.E. Kaufman (Ed.), How labor markets work (pp. 47–87). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Fernando, T., & Prasad, K.K. (1986). Multiculturalism and employment equity: Problems facing foreign-trained professionals and trades people in British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: AMSSA.
Gittell, R., & Vidal, A. (1998). Community organizing: Building social capital as a development strategy. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Glaser, B., & Strauss, A.L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Granovetter, M. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78, 1360–1380.
Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: The problem of embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91, 481–510.
Henry, F., & Ginzberg, E. (1993). Racial discrimination in employment. In J. Curtis, E. Grabb, & N. Guppy (Eds.), Social inequity in Canada: Patterns, problems, policies (2nd ed.). Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall Canada.
Henry, F., Tator, C., Mattis, W., & Rees, T. (1995). The colour of democracy: Racism in Canadian society. Toronto, ON: Harcourt Brace.
Kaufman, B.E. (1991). The economics of labour markets. London: Dryden Press.
Krahn, H., Derwing, T., Mulder, M., & Wilkinson, L. (2000). Educated and underemployed: Refugee integration into the Canadian labour market. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 1(1), 59–84.
Lam, Y.L., Haque, C., & West, C. (1994). Economic development and immigrant employment opportunities in rural Manitoba. Brandon, MB: Rural Development Institute, Brandon University.
Lee, M.S. (1999). Do foreign birth and Asian minority status lower Canadian women’s earnings? Canadian Studies in Population, 26(2), 159–182.
Levett, A.M. (1996). Canadian attitudes towards immigrants: The connections between contact, familiarity and positive attitudes. Unpublished master’s thesis, Carleton University.
Li, S.P. (2001). The market worth of immigrants’ educational credentials. Canadian Public Policy, 27(1), 23–38.
Lin, N. (2001). Social capital: A theory of social structure and action. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Lin, N., Cook, K., & Burt, R.S. (Eds.). (2001). Social capital. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
Mata, F. (1999, October). The non-accreditation of immigrant professionals in Canada: Societal dimensions of the problem. Paper presented at the conference Shaping the Future: Qualifications Recognition in the 21st century, Toronto.
McDade, K. (1988). Barrers to recognition of the credentials of immigrants in Canada. Ottawa: Institute for Research on Public Policy.
McDade, K., & Wright, R.E. (1992). Barriers to recognition of the credentials of immigrants in Canada: An analysis using census data. Ottawa: Multiculturalism and Citizenship Canada and Health and Welfare Canada.
Minichiello, V., Aroni, R., Timewell, E., & Alexander, L. (1995). In-depth interviewing: Principles, techniques, analysis. Melbourne: Longman Australia.
Murh, T. (1997). ATLAS/ti: Visual qualitative data analysis management model building. Berlin: Scientific Software Development.
Ornstein, M.D., & Sharma, D.R. (1983). Adjustment and economic experience of immigrants in Canada: An analysis of the 1976 longitudinal survey of immigrants. Toronto, ON: York University Institute for Behavioural Research.
Parkin, F. (1979). Marxism and class theory: A bourgeois critique. London: Tavistock Publications.
Patton, Q.M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Pendakur, K., & Pendakur, R. (1998). The colour of money: Wage differentials across ethnic groups. Canadian Journal of Economics, 31(3), 518–548.
Reitz, G.J. (2001). Immigrant skill utilization in the Canadian labour market. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2(3), 347–378.
Reitz, G.J., & Sklar, M.S. (1997). Culture, race, and the economic assimilation of immigrants. Sociological Forum, 12(2), 233–277.
Richmond, A.H., & Zubrzycki, J. (1984). Immigrants in Canada and Australia: Economic adaptation. Toronto, ON: Institute for Social Research, York University.
Samuel, T.J., & Woloski, B. (1985). The labour market experiences of Canadian immigrants. International Migrantion, 23(2), 225–250.
Seward, S., & McDade, K. (1988). Immigrant women in Canada: A policy perspective. Ottawa: Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
Sorensen, M. (1995). The match between education and occupation for immigrant women in Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 27(1), 48–66.
Statistics Canada. (2003a). Longitudinal survey of immigrants to Canada: Process, progress and prospects. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Industry.
Statistics Canada. (2003b). The Canadian labour market at glance. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Industry.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park: Sage.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1994). Grounded theory methodology. In N. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 273–285). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Trovato, F., & Grindstaff, C.F. (1986). Economic status: A census analysis of immigrant women at the age thirty in Canada. Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 23(4), 569–87.
Woolcock, M., & Narayan, D. (2000). Social capital: Implications for development theory, research and policy. World Bank Research Observer, 15(2), 225–249.
Zhao, J., Drew, D., & Murray, T.S. (2000). Brain drain and brain gain: The migration of knowledge workers from and to Canada. Education Quarterly Review, 6(3), 8–35.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Van Ngo, H., Este, D. Professional re-entry for foreign-trained immigrants. Int. Migration & Integration 7, 27–50 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-006-1001-5
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-006-1001-5