As a brown color immigrant from India to Australia, I am convinced that my skin color has much to do with my occupation in Australia. I am a qualified Architect and had to settle for low qualified job in the beginning.
That was understood as rarely one in 1000 immigrant is able to land in a decent job immediately after landing. However, right from day one I could sense the treatment meted out to me. Most people were decent enough not to talk anything on the face yet non verbal clues, body language and the vibes said all. My immediate supervisor (white) used to allow more concessions to fellow white latecomers than to me. Any lapse on my part was just sufficient to drive him crazy while he used to overlook bigger lapses by others(read whites). Highly skilled immigrants find it hard to get acceptance from recruitment consultants. Nobody says so much but muted tone says that skin color, accent are simply not liked.
If some brown manages to reach at senior position, he often has to listen to murmurs of protests how immigrants from other countries are snatching jobs of locals here. And, remember even second generation Indians, some of them without any Indian roost, too have to face such comments. From an in-depth study of educated immigrants from a range of countries, the researchers found that only a small number had found jobs that matched their qualifications and many remained unemployed or had accepted unskilled work.
Recent study on the subject raised question about role of recruitment consultants too after many of the immigrant group reported having difficulty getting recruitment consultants to refer them for job interviews. Most of such complainants had bachelors’ degrees and 50 per cent or postgraduate qualifications. They came from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America and were holding occupations as accountant, manager, diplomat, economist, psychologist or school teacher etc.
Their being underemployed or unemployed has taken its toll on these people or those potential immigrants who were watching them settle before they could take decision on their immigration.
Ultimately, this is loss to Australia only as such professional immigrants are potential asset to New Zealand employers provided they decide to overcome racial bias and recognize the value these immigrants can add to their organizations.