Migrant women in Australia face higher rates of overqualification and skill underuse

Settlement Services International's latest research reveals that migrant women in Australia are 20% more likely than their male counterparts to be employed in positions for which they are overqualified, with an estimated 340,000 women working below their skill level. Personal accounts, such as Farukh Tahery's struggle to find accounting work after fleeing Afghanistan and Consuelo Castillo's experience transitioning from teaching in Chile to childcare assistance, highlight the systemic challenges.

The fragmented and costly qualification recognition system can require up to $50,000 and two years for overseas professionals, especially women, to gain accreditation. Malini Raj of the Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance points out the resulting cycle of lower income and limited long-term prospects. Both SSI and AMWA are calling for a national commissioner to oversee and improve the skills recognition framework, arguing that many of these migrants were recruited to fill skill shortages in Australia.