More than 340,000 migrant and refugee women across Australia are working below their level of skill and qualification, according to a new national report that points to gaps in skills recognition and workforce access.
The report, Activate Her Skills, released by the Australian Multicultural Women’s Alliance in partnership with Settlement Services International, finds 341,500 women are unable to secure roles that match their training and experience, despite many holding tertiary or postgraduate qualifications.
The findings highlight a mismatch between Australia’s workforce needs and the way qualifications are assessed and recognised, particularly for migrant and refugee women.
“Australia does not lack talent, we are underutilising talent that is already here,” said Malini Raj, Executive Director of AMWA.
“Migrant and refugee women arrive in Australia with tertiary and postgraduate qualifications, years of professional experience, and a strong desire to contribute. We do not have a shortage of skills, we have a failure of the systems designed to recognise them.”
The report shows only 41 per cent of migrant women surveyed are working in roles aligned with their qualifications. It also finds they earn 31 per cent less than Australian-born women with similar qualifications.
“Migrant and refugee women arrive in Australia with tertiary and postgraduate qualifications, years of professional experience, and a strong desire to contribute. We do not have a shortage of skills, we have a failure of the systems designed to recognise them”
Women trained as teachers, nurses, engineers, psychologists and IT professionals are among those affected. The report states they are being sidelined due to slow, costly and complex processes that limit access to professional pathways.
“Migrant women are also 20% more likely to be underutilised than migrant men in a system designed for someone with time, money and flexibility. That is not the reality for many migrant women,” Ms Raj said.
For many, the barriers are not abstract. Rabia, who arrived in Australia in late 2020 with a Master of Psychology and clinical experience from Pakistan, found herself unable to continue her profession after leaving an abusive relationship. With her visa tied to her husband, she was not eligible for Centrelink support and spent more than six months in a domestic violence shelter.
Trying to rebuild her life, Rabia attempted to navigate the skills recognition system alone. To begin the process with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, she needed to pay $1,500 upfront. It took 15 months of farm work, cleaning and dishwashing to save the amount. Much of the work was underpaid and, at times, exploitative.
The report notes similar experiences across other professions. Consuelo, a qualified teacher with seven years of experience in Chile, migrated to Australia expecting to continue her career. Despite her background, she has been unable to have her qualifications recognised and cannot teach.
She now works as an early childhood educator, a role that does not reflect her training or experience. Consuelo describes the recognition process as confusing and inconsistent. In seeking guidance, she was referred to multiple organisations offering conflicting advice. One charged her $1,100 to review her academic documents without providing a clear pathway forward.
These experiences reflect broader patterns identified in the report. Nearly one in three women surveyed said they wanted to return to their profession but felt blocked from doing so.
“When migrant women can work in their professions, families are stronger, services improve and businesses gain desperately needed talent. It’s a win for women, a win for employers and a win for our economy,” Ms Raj said.
The report identifies time delays as a major barrier for 59 per cent of respondents, while 56 per cent cited cost as a key obstacle. A further 37 per cent pointed to rigid, paperwork-heavy processes, and 27 per cent said pathways were confusing and unclear.
The findings form part of the broader Activate Australia’s Skills campaign, which is calling for reforms to create a faster, more accessible and affordable skills recognition system. Proposed measures include appointing a commissioner to oversee the system, improving support for skills assessments, and developing an online portal to streamline processes.
The report argues that addressing these barriers would help ease workforce shortages while improving outcomes for migrant women and their families.
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