Immigrants trained as doctors, lawyers and engineers, among others, face frustration and barriers trying to find work in their field in Canada.
Many internationally trained professionals who chose to move to Canada work in Waterloo Region, but they may not be working at their full potential.
In fact, statistics show one in five Canadian residents born outside the country can't find work in the field where they were trained.
Hardeep Sachdev has been a taxi driver for five years, but when he first came to Canada he took any kind of work he could find.
Sachdev says "I did the pizza delivery, I did the pay per deliveries, I did the directory deliveries. When I came over here I was working 18 hours a day."
The one job he didn't take on was the one he was trained for. He was a legal advisor in India.
He says "I did my university over there and I did my post graduation in personal and industry relations over there."
Dusko Djuknic is also a driver for United Taxi, he left Yugoslavia 11 years after the war.
He says "I did get offered a job at that time because I was a good student, but still I didn't think there was a future, at least for the next 20 years."
That job would have been related to his education as an oil engineer.
Both men moved to Canada for a better life, and while they both found it, neither works in the field they were trained for.
David Byers is the president of United Taxi. He estimates 70 per cent of the drivers have post-secondary education from another country, as lawyers, dentists, engineers and accountants.
And while many eventually find work, it's not usually what they went to school for.
Marty Schreiter or the K-W Multicultural Centre says "No question that underemployment is a reality for many internationally trained professions."
Statistics Canada estimates more than half of those who immigrated between 2001 and 2006 had a university degree, while only 20 per cent of people born in Canada had one.
Even before 2001, the number of educated immigrants was higher than their Canadian-born counterparts.
A 2006 study done by Region of Waterloo's Public Health Department found 70 per cent of newcomers to the area find it difficult to get work.
Three main reasons have been cited for these difficulties; difficulties transferring foreign qualifications, a lack of contacts and language barriers.
Sachdev knew he would have to return to school if he wanted to pursue a law degree, but he wasn't up for that, and his desire to go abroad was stronger.
Coming up in part two: Why knocking down barriers and getting immigrants into the work force is so important for Canada.
