Research
Research article
Credentials, language and the choice to start a business
How barriers to recognized qualifications and professional-level language shape whether — and what kind of — businesses immigrants start.
When qualifications earned abroad are not recognized, many skilled immigrants face a choice between work below their skill level and working for themselves. This article examines that choice.
Focus
The article distinguishes between businesses started to use skills the labor market overlooks and businesses started simply to earn a living, and asks how credential and language barriers push founders towards one or the other.
Implications
Faster recognition of qualifications and professional language training are rarely discussed as entrepreneurship policy. The article argues that they should be.