Professional Re-entry for Foreign-Trained Immigrants

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.