08/12/2026
Imagine spending years earning a degree, building a career, and developing real expertise, only to arrive in a new country and be told you have to go back to square one.
That's the reality for an estimated 2 million skilled, work-authorized immigrants in the U.S. who are currently working jobs that don't reflect their qualifications. Researchers are calling it “brain waste.” We call it a problem we can solve.
These aren't entry-level job seekers. They're engineers, nurses, educators, and financial professionals who have spent years contributing to their communities back home. But here, they're often working in fields that have nothing to do with the skills they've worked so hard to build. And they're usually tens of thousands of dollars below their pay grade.
This gap doesn't just hurt immigrants. It hurts the employers who can't find qualified candidates, the communities that need skilled workers, and an economy that depends on talent to grow.
At Upwardly Global, closing this gap is exactly what we do. For 25 years, we've connected skilled, work-authorized immigrants and refugees with the careers they've already earned and the employers who need them. And we've helped immigrant professionals receive an average salary gain of $58,790 per year.
The talent is here. It's time to put it to work.
🔗 Learn more about our work: https://www.upwardlyglobal.org/impact/
