2 million college-educated immigrants are underemployed due to credential non-recognition

More than 2 million college-educated immigrants and refugees in the U.S. are unemployed or underemployed because their foreign professional credentials are not recognized by U.S. employers, licensing boards, or regulatory bodies. A doctor from Syria, an engineer from Afghanistan, or a nurse from the DRC must essentially start over: retake exams in English, complete U.S.-specific clinical hours or residencies, and pay thousands in licensing fees, all while working survival jobs to feed their families. So what? The recertification pipeline for a foreign-trained physician, for example, requires passing USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3, completing a U.S. residency (3-7 years), and paying $15,000-$30,000 in exam and application fees, which is financially impossible for someone earning $15/hour as a medical interpreter. So what? These individuals remain permanently locked out of their professions, meaning the U.S. resettlement system spends years and thousands of dollars supporting people who could be self-sufficient and tax-paying professionals within months if a credential bridge existed. So what? Communities with physician shortages (rural areas, underserved urban neighborhoods) go without providers while qualified refugee doctors drive Ubers in the same city. The structural reason this persists is that professional licensing is controlled by 50 separate state boards with no federal coordination, and each board has financial incentives to maintain high barriers that limit supply and protect incumbent practitioners.