Bridging the Gap for New Americans: Final Report

This report, prepared in response to a law (Pub. L. No. 117-210, enacted in October 2022) focuses on immigrants and refugees who are lawfully present in the U.S., arrived during the 5 years prior to the law, and have occupational credentials or academic degrees obtained outside the United States. The report explores the size of the relevant population, the percentage among it that experiences difficulties obtaining employment commensurate with their credentials or academic preparation, the types of difficulties that individuals in this group experience, and the services provided by various organizations and public agencies to aid this group.

The report is based on a targeted literature review, an exploration of the available data on the relevant population, and a review of public and private programs that aid this population. While the study team found no recent studies or national datasets that cover target population as defined in the statute, it did identify related data and information. Key findings include: 1) the number of immigrants with at least a college degree obtained outside the U.S. was estimated to be approximately 7 million, based on 2019 Census data from the American Community Survey (ACS); 2) based on the 2019 ACS, 24 percent of immigrants who obtained college degrees outside the U.S. accepted a job that did not require a college degree or were unemployed, 3) recredentialing or relicensing for such individuals is complex, expensive, and time-consuming, due to problems navigating licensing systems, lack of English language proficiency, and lack of sufficient funds, and 4) there are nonprofit organizations, state governments, and community colleges (all identified in the report) that have implemented strategies and approaches to address those various challenges.