Migrant women in Australia more likely to be overqualified for jobs, research shows

New research has revealed that migrant women in Australia are more likely to be overqualified for their jobs compared to their male counterparts. The findings have sparked calls for a national commissioner to oversee the skills recognition process for new migrants and refugees.

Farukh Tahery, a migrant woman with four years of experience in accounting from Afghanistan, had to start from scratch when she moved to Australia in 2021. "When I came to Australia, I found out, yes, finding a job is hard," she said. "Every time I received feedback from employers, they told me that 'You're not qualified'… I was feeling [like] I'm not enough."

Ms Tahery's experience is not unique. According to research from not-for-profit Settlement Services International (SSI), migrant women in Australia are 20 per cent more likely than migrant men to be over-qualified in a job. The research found that around 340,000 migrant women working in Australia are employed below their skill level.

Malini Raj, Executive Director of the Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance (AMWA), said migrant women unable to get their overseas qualifications recognised in Australia are forced into "survival jobs". "And therefore they're in a cycle of lower income, lower superannuation, and lower long-term prospects," she said. "There's psychologists, engineers, teachers, nurses, all unable to get their qualifications recognised because of a costly, time consuming and complicated process."

Ms Raj said it takes a woman with overseas GP qualifications an average of $50,000 and two years to get recognition and work in Australia. "They're forced to navigate a fragmented system on their own, and therefore, they don't have a clear pathway to get their skills recognised," she said.

Consuelo Castillo, a migrant woman from Chile with seven years of teaching experience, also struggled to find work in her field. "When I first started to look for jobs here … my only option was working as an assistant in after-school care," she said. Finding work, she added, was like trying to get "behind closed doors".

SSI and AMWA have called for a national commissioner to be appointed to oversee the skills recognition process for new migrants and refugees. Ms Raj said it takes years for most migrant women in Australia to get their qualifications recognised. "We also have skills shortage in those professions which they are qualified for," she said. "We've invited them into the country for those skills, so it's time that we recognise them."

Ms Tahery is currently studying at TAFE with the aim of getting a job in accounting. "If [employers] accept the qualifications that we bring with us, if they gave us a chance to show that, 'Yes, we can do it', that would make everything easier," she said.