How Internationally Trained Immigrants and Refugees Can Fight COVID-19, Re-open our Economy, and Advance Equity & Opportunity: Recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration

This report from Upwardly Global looks at the employment barriers facing internationally trained immigrants in the U.S., their potential economic impact, and opportunities for federal policy changes to support this population. Reviewing the current policy and research literature, including on the impact of the pandemic, this wide-ranging report notes that some 25 percent of the two million immigrants with college degrees are underemployed or unemployed due to a range of factors ranging from lack of English proficiency to limited professional networks to licensing and credential recognition barriers. The result is not just lost earnings and tax revenues but lost opportunity in filling urgent current and future hiring gaps in skilled manufacturing, finance, IT, STEM fields, and especially in health care. Noting Upwardly Global’s success over two decades in providing coaching, training, and resources to support 18,000 immigrant job seekers, the report closes with fifteen detailed legislative and administrative policy recommendations, including: coordination of federal initiatives and support of state immigrant inclusion efforts through an executive-level Office of New Americans; engaging employers through tax incentives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring; review and reform of state occupational licensing processes, particularly in the healthcare field; support for existing legislation addressing barriers faced by internationally trained professionals, including the US Citizenship Act of 2021, the New Deal for New Americans Act, and the Professional’s Access to Health Workforce Integration Act; increased funding for workforce development programs that can help internationally trained professionals succeed in the U.S. job market, including WIOA and programs at community colleges; reversing the barriers to immigrant and refugee economic inclusion imposed by the previous administration; and bolstering the U.S. refugee resettlement program with funding to support refugees in fully leveraging their education and skills in U.S. (Jeffrey Gross, Ph.D.)

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