Labour Market Barriers and Solutions for Internationally Educated Researchers in Canada: Social and Health Implications 

This research looks at the barriers internationally educated researchers (IERs) face in securing decent, relevant employment in Canada’s research sector and proposes solutions to help them succeed. Researchers found that highly skilled immigrants remain underutilized. The findings of this project can be utilized to pilot strategic interventions and advocate for policy/system solutions that will enable IERs to gain a productive career in Canada. 

What is this research about? 

The research aims to answer three main questions: 

• What labour market barriers do IERs face when looking for jobs in their field? 
• What impacts do these barriers have on their health and well-being? 
• What solutions could help them find meaningful work in research in Canada? 

What do you need to know? 

Canada welcomes many highly skilled immigrants, including researchers. However, there is little research on the unique problems that IERs face. While many studies examine broadly‑trained immigrants, IERs have received little attention despite their potential contribution to Canada’s knowledge economy. Labour Force Surveys show recent skilled immigrants with university degrees have unemployment rates four times higher than Canadian‑born peers (2013) and a persistent “brain‑waste” cost of $30 billion (2006). 

Unemployment and precarious work affect IERs health and socioeconomic wellbeing. The study documents how their experiences link to financial insecurity, mental‑health decline, and social marginalization. IER’s health and socioeconomic well-being 

The study reveals systemic, employer‑level, and personal barriers that keep internationally educated researchers from entering Canada’s research labour market, leading to significant economic, mental‑health, and social costs. Researchers identify two-step solutions, individual up‑skilling and policy‑level reforms. Such roadmaps include individual upskilling and policy-advocacy for government, academic institutions, settlement service providers, and the researchers themselves to unlock the untapped talent pool and mitigate “brain‑waste” for the benefit of Canada’s knowledge economy and public health. 

What did the researchers find? 

Lack of recognition: Credential validation is described as “lengthy, difficult, and expensive.” Employers often lack knowledge of the quality of foreign education. IERs experience a significant lack of recognition for their international credentials and experiences, limited information about job opportunities, face discrimination, and a scarcity of research jobs.  Some of the participants identified discrimination, systemic racism, and xenophobia as reasons.  

Employment-seeking barriers: Volunteering is seen as both helpful and exploitative, depending on the situation. Some overqualified IERs report being rejected because they have too much education. Not having perceived as both beneficial and exploitative, depending on the context, the Canadian experience, even for highly qualified candidates in niche areas, was a common obstacle. 

Personal impacts: Many IERs faced financial insecurity (forced into low‑pay, non‑research work), mental health struggles like depression and anxiety, and social challenges (feeling a loss of dignity or lowered social status). Systemic racism and xenophobia, including bias against names and accents, are seen as root causes for some barriers. 

How can you use this research? 

This research can help make policy and practice more sensitive to the struggles that internationally educated researchers face, encouraging fairer hiring, mental health support, and better integration for newcomers in Canada’s research workforce. 

Immigrants/IERs: Invest in Canadian‑style research training (e.g., short courses, certifications). Build professional networks via societies, conferences, LinkedIn groups. Seek mentors and informational interviews to bypass hidden job markets. Persistence and learning the workplace culture can help. Learning new skills and obtaining Canadian credentials should be viewed as foot‑in‑door tactics towards decent employment. 

Employers and policymakers: Recommendations include creating programs to help IERs transition to Canadian work, recognize international credentials more fairly, and stop discriminatory hiring practices. 

Settlement agencies and employment services: Offer tailored programs for IERs, not just general advice. Design customized career‑coaching focusing on research‑sector pathways. Facilitate networking events with Canadian research organizations. Educate staff on credential equivalency and ATS optimization for academic CVs. 

Policymakers (federal/provincial immigration & labour ministries): Introduce fast‑track credential assessment for research degrees. Create tax credits or subsidies for organizations that hire IERs. Mandate transparent hiring practices (feedback, anti‑bias training). 

Research institutions & universities: Develop bridging fellowships and post‑doc placements targeting IERs. Offer targeted mentorship programs pairing senior researchers with IERs. Provide CV/cover‑letter workshops that translate international experience into Canadian terminology. 

What did the researchers do? 

Researchers: 

• Used qualitative research with four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 22 IERs (aged 25-54, from South Asia and the Middle East, most with PhDs or Masters). Most participants were located in Ontario, especially in the GTA. 
• Conducted 11 interviews with researchers, HR managers, and executives at institutions that work with immigrant researchers. 
• Analyzed data using NVivo software and grounded theory to reveal themes and patterns. 

Study authors 

Akm Alamgir, Axelle Janczur, Shafi Bhuiyan, Ted Richmond, and Amal Rezk

Related Access Alliance Activities & Products 

Role and Level of Engagement of Peer Researchers in Systematic Reviews: A Review Article (2022) 
This research examines the effectiveness of meaningful engagement of peer researchers in systematic reviews of sensitive topics such as research on refugees or immigrants.   

UnborderED Knowledge: Building bridges between lived experience and academic excellence 
This pan-Canadian project that will transform how Canada supports displaced scholars and researchers. UnborderED Knowledge will create systematic pathways to education and research opportunities, recognizing that people with lived experiences of forced migration bring invaluable perspectives to academic and research communities. UnborderED Knowledge will support over 650 students and researchers through mentorship, training, and research placements with community partners.