How policies select immigrants: The role of the recognition of foreign qualifications

Although immigrants' settlement and integration into the labour market are subject to a number of regulations, previous research has primarily investigated the role of admission policies in selecting immigrants. There are other policies, however - such as the recognition of foreign qualifications - that fulfil a similar role, although these policies are largely overlooked in the literature. This study explores the way these policies select among wanted and unwanted highly skilled immigrants, subsequently facilitating or hindering their integration into jobs matched to their level and type of qualifications. This article draws on semi-structured interviews with highly skilled Romanian immigrants with various professional qualifications and focuses on their experiences with recognition processes in Germany over the last decade, highlighting the procedures' effects on individuals' upward or downward employment trajectories.