Many migrants who worked as managers and professionals in the tech industry before coming to Australia are struggling to get these skills recognised and find a suitable job – even after a decade, a new report has found.

The federal government’s Australian Institute of Family Studies released a report based on a survey of 2,400 humanitarian migrants over a 10-year period, beginning in 2013 when they were initially granted visas.

It found a prevalence of “occupational downgrade”, with many migrant workers employed in jobs far below their qualifications and skills.

The report comes on the back of previous research into the issue and efforts to improve the recognition of skills to help address the tech skills gap in Australia.

Lead author of the report Dr John van Kooy said there are many reasons why migrants are struggling to find jobs that match their skills.

“Many refugees have their careers interrupted by forced migration and while waiting for their visas to be granted,” van Kooy said.

“Language can also be a barrier to finding suitable employment initially.

“Yet we know that many have the skills and experience to fill gaps in the Australian labour market – including in professions such as engineering, allied health and teaching.

“Employers and employment agencies who are culturally competent, flexible and able to respond to the specific needs of refugee workers, will be in the best position to utilise this significant skill base.”

Occupational downgrading

The survey found that before arriving in Australia, 30 per cent of employed women and 19 per cent of employed men were working in managerial or professional roles.

After 10 years of residency in Australia, less than 20 per cent of employed women and 10 per cent of men were working in similar roles.

It also found that half the men that were working in sectors including tech are now working as technicians, tradespersons or machinery operators, a decade after arriving in Australia.

This “occupational downgrading” is more pronounced for women.

Of those who were previously managers or professionals, more than two-thirds are not in any paid work now, while the remainder are mostly working as carers, cleaners, educational aides or sales assistants.

Across the 10-year study, many of the migrants to Australia found work.

Upon arriving in Australia, just over 20 per cent had work, and after a decade this figure rose to more than 50 per cent.

Of those on humanitarian visas included in the study, just under 40 per cent of women and more than 60 per cent of men are in the labour force.

Barriers in place

Previous research by Settlement Services International (SSI) has found that nearly half of the permanent migrants in Australia are working below their skill level.

“Many refugees arrive in Australia with years of professional experience and valuable skills, but they face a system that devalues their expertise and puts up unnecessary roadblocks to formally recognising their qualifications,” SSI Head of Strategic Relations Dane Moores said.

“The process to have overseas qualifications recognised is complex, costly and inconsistent, and many refugees find it difficult to meet the rigid documentation requirements.”

In late 2023, the Australian Computer Society (ACS) released the Billion Dollar Benefit: Welcoming Tech Talent report, which found that while IT is one of the most common qualifications among migrants to Australia, only two per cent of those in the country are working in the tech sector.

Last year the federal government announced new skills assessments with an aim to unlock the full potential of migrant workers, along with a report identifying a $70 billion opportunity over the next decade, if these workers can find jobs that match their skills.

Further research from last year found that eight in 10 skilled ICT migrants end up finding “fulfilling roles” in the tech sector, but half of them are challenged by complex immigration processes, workplace discrimination, bias issues and a lack of regional IT jobs.