Breaking employment barriers for LGBTQI+ refugees

‘Our qualifications didn’t disappear at the border. But too often, that’s how the system treats us.’

This statement is emblematic of the unspoken assumptions that shape how LGBTQI+ refugees are viewed by many Canadian and U.S. employers.

Although we may be welcomed into these countries for humanitarian reasons, we are not always welcomed as professionals. We are granted protection, but not always the possibility to prosper.

This article is about challenging that. It’s about reframing what counts as experience. It involves questioning how equity is measured. And includes rethinking how employers and communities engage with LGBTQI+ refugees.

Recognizing that the experience of forced displacement is not the single story of our journeys and how critical employment is to our ability to rebuild.

Recognizing LGBTQI+ refugee leadership and experience

Many LGBTQI+ refugees bring years of leadership and experience to Canada and the U.S.

We’ve managed complex social projects under pressure, educated generations of students, run small businesses through political instability and unrest, cared for patients in under-resourced clinics and hospitals, and advised senior leaders in government, civil society, and the corporate sector.

We know what it means to lead across sectors, languages, and contexts with vision, efficiency, urgency, and care.

And yet, in the first few years of relocating, we often occupy roles that do not reflect this deep well of experience.

We secure jobs that may allow us to earn a modest income and help us plan for a dignified retirement. But they rarely tap into the years of skill, expertise, leadership, and decision-making we carried with us across borders.

The resettlement system which is meant to integrate us often start by asking us to shrink who we are, minimize our voice, rewrite our credentials, or erase parts of our story to make others comfortable.

Policy and structural barriers in Canada and the U.S.

Understanding the barriers LGBTQI+ refugees face in employment requires us to interrogate the policy landscape that defines and informs the structures that shape our experience with access or the lack thereof.

Here, I briefly explore the Employment Equity Act and the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot in Canada, and look at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the U.S.

These frameworks attempt to enhance equitable access to employment for diverse populations in both countries. But the compounding intersecting identities of LGBTQI+ refugees are not adequately considered.

Canada’s Employment Equity Act

Canada’s Employment Equity Act mandates federally regulated employers to increase the representation of designated groups—women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities in the workplace.

There has been advocacy toward explicitly adding and recognizing Black and 2SLGBTQI+ people as designated equity groups.

This highlights the need for targeted strategies to dismantle systemic barriers in employment often experienced by these populations. There are also efforts to replace ‘visible minorities’ with ‘racialized people’, revising definitions to be more inclusive and consistent with other laws.

While the government made this commitment, the Employment Equity Act has not been amended. But even with these proposed changes, many LGBTQI+ and racialized refugees will fall through the cracks.

The amendments will not fully address the compounding effects of our intersecting identities. And, refugees are not a designated equity group despite being disproportionately affected by systemic barriers.

Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) extends legal immigration pathways for skilled refugees to fill labour shortages in sectors such as healthcare, construction, and food services.

The program “recognizes the human and social capital of refugees and other displaced people with skills and qualifications that meet the needs of Canadian employers.”

However, I believe the EMPP should be reconstructed to emphasize economic integration and job security in Canada, not an eligibility criterion to qualify for humanitarian protection.

The EMPP should be a post-relocation program for refugees to secure job opportunities across multiple industries—including where labour shortages exist.

This reconstruction can be life-transforming as it would prioritize both the need for humanitarian protection and the economic integration that LGBTQI+ refugees need to rebuild our lives after displacement.

Without that reconstruction, the EMPP runs the risk of shifting emphasis from protection to economic utility—a perverse interpretation of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

While the EMPP signals a structural shift in how refugee talent is recognized, this recognition should not be transactional and cannot be a pre-requisite for humanitarian protection.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the U.S.

In the U.S., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing laws such as Title VII that prohibit workplace discrimination based on race, sex, and national origin.

However, a landmark Supreme Court ruling from 1973—Espinoza v. Farah Manufacturing Co., permits citizenship-based hiring discrimination.

The Espinoza ruling makes it legal for some employers to prefer citizens or lawful permanent residents over others—including refugees, under certain conditions.

More recently, the policy landscape has rapidly deteriorated for immigrants and LGBTQI+ people in the U.S. The current EEOC leadership has assumed a critical stance toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

In March of this year, the EEOC and Department of Justice released joint technical guidance ‘cautioning’ that DEI programs could violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act if they involved race, sex, or other protected characteristics.

This shifting regulatory framework creates a climate where employers may revert to hiring practices that disproportionately affect racialized LGBTQI+ refugees who are navigating multiple forms of discrimination.

Structural implications

Canadian or U.S. experience as a barrier. Job listings frequently require local experience. This requirement hinders the hiring potential of many qualified candidates. It also disadvantages those with international but relevant leadership and technical skills.
Credential recognition gaps. International credentials, informal leadership, and community expertise are often discounted or ignored, leading to a significant undervaluation of various skills and experiences that individuals bring to the table. This not only affects opportunities for LGBTQI+ refugees but also limits the diversity of perspectives and approaches within organizations. Such recognition gaps perpetuate existing inequalities.
Intersectional invisibility. The overlapping identities of race, queerness, and refugee status often result in compounded discrimination. Existing policy does not fully address this issue. This leads to marginalization and inadequate representation in various institutional frameworks. These frameworks further perpetuate cycles of inequality. They affect access to resources and opportunities for those embodying these intersecting identities.

This policy and structural context explains why many LGBTQI+ refugees face prolonged underemployment or deskilling. It is not due to lack of skill or motivation, but because structural systems haven’t evolved to recognize the full spectrum of leadership and experience we bring.

What employers can do to challenge structural barriers

Employers play a critical role in shifting systems from exclusion to equity.

Here are key steps they can take:

Audit and revise hiring criteria. Remove requirements like having U.S. or Canadian work experience, or vague criteria like ‘cultural fit’. Instead, clearly define the job competencies needed and welcome equivalent international experience and informal leadership.
Build sponsorship programs, not just mentorship. While mentorship provides guidance and advice, sponsorship involves active advocacy—someone leveraging their influence to open doors and vouch for talent. This is especially crucial for racialized LGBTQI+ refugees, who often face barriers in accessing informal and professional networks.
Invest in cultural and systems navigation. Create onboarding roles or peer support programs that help LGBTQI+ refugees understand workplace norms and expectations—while respecting and preserving our identities.
Train hiring and people managers on bias and intersectionality. Educate leadership on implicit bias and how race, queerness, and immigration status intersect—helping to reduce discriminatory decisions.
Create transparent leadership pathways. Invest in long-term career integration that value diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. Fund leadership development, advocacy training, and mentorship and sponsorship programs that champion LGBTQI+ refugee talent across career stages. And, offer ongoing, adaptable support to help individuals navigate systemic barriers while balancing personal and professional growth.

What LGBTQI+ refugees can do to rebuild despite structural barriers

Rebuilding a career in a new country is rarely linear. A strategic and phased approach can create windows of opportunity.

Gather and prepare credentials. Collect your diplomas, degrees, professional certifications, letters of recommendation, and work samples. Understanding and organizing these documents can happen before or after arrival and will strengthen your job search whenever you begin. Seek out the support of LGBTQI+ refugees who have walked a similar path to success and prosperity.
Research and study the local employment landscape. Research local industries, labour market trends—including labour shortages, and find organizations that support LGBTQI+ refugees. This knowledge helps you identify opportunities that align with your skills and values, or where upskilling or reskilling may be strategic.
Build connections through soft networking. When it feels emotionally and mentally safe to do so, actively engage in community events, newcomer programs, and online groups that resonate with you. These connections can provide support and create opportunities for unplanned mentorship and sponsorship. Do this at your own pace, whether you’ve just arrived or have been here a while.
Document your achievements continuously. Keep track of experiences, skills learned, volunteer work, and leadership roles—whether formal or informal. This documentation can be invaluable when updating your résumé or seeking sponsorship.
Seek out sponsorship opportunities. Look for individuals who can actively advocate for your career advancement beyond typical mentorship. This can happen early or later, depending on when you feel ready to ask for support. It requires boldness and strategy and a willingness to accept that not every outreach will yield desired outcomes. But patience and consistency are critical.
Adapt your résumé and translate experience thoughtfully. When you decide to apply for roles, revise your résumé to reflect local expectations. Translate your previous roles and leadership in ways that make sense to employers in your new context.
Consider strategic moves to build local credibility. Whether through lateral job changes, volunteering, or taking on visible projects, these steps help deepen your local experience and references. If it feels safe for you to do so, use your voice in advocacy spaces, on social media, and within community networks. This can build confidence over time and create opportunities to meet industry leaders.
Claim leadership when you’re ready. Apply for roles that match your expertise, negotiate growth opportunities, and explore how you can sponsor others—giving back to your community can be a powerful part of your own growth.

Rebuilding our careers after displacement is difficult. But it is possible. There are many structural barriers that we are forced to navigate, also compounded by the trauma of survival. Still, with collective wisdom, patience, and tenacity, we can walk this path in ways that honour who we are while we work to break the barriers.

Rethinking solidarity: What local queer and trans communities can do

Local 2SLGBTQI+ communities have long been sites of social support, affirmation, and celebration. Yet, the move from social welcome to meaningful career and economic integration for LGBTQI+ refugees requires intentional effort.

Educate and listen. Try to understand the intersectional challenges forced displacement brings for LGBTQI+ and racialized refugees. Engage community programs and refugee-led organizations. These spaces create opportunities to learn more about how race, gender, sexual orientation, and immigration status multiply experiences of marginalization and discrimination.
Avoid saviourism. Instead of assuming what LGBTQI+ refugees need, ask, and co-create a supportive ecosystem that respect autonomy and leadership.
Create sponsorship opportunities. Help foster relationships between established queer professionals and LGBTQI+ refugees, enabling mentorship that leads to sponsorship. Use your networks to introduce LGBTQI+ refugees to hiring and people managers, professional groups, and leadership pipelines. One genuine introduction can transform a career.

Closing reflection

As LGBTQI+ refugees, we did not lose our expertise at the border. Our qualifications, experience, and resilience arrived with us. But until systems recognize and act on this reality, we risk wasting extraordinary talent and potential.

Breaking barriers for LGBTQI+ refugees in employment requires us to redefine leadership and value diverse forms of experience. And in doing so, create pathways that welcome difference. Not as an act of charity, but justice.

Together we can build workplaces and communities where LGBTQI+ refugees are not only welcomed but are empowered to lead, innovate, and transform.

Because leadership doesn’t start at the border—it continues here.