Your experience matters. Discover an organization helping immigrant professionals navigate the U.S. job market and move toward careers that reflect their skills.
Moving to the United States can open new opportunities, but rebuilding a professional career often takes more than determination. For African immigrants who arrive with qualifications and experience, the challenge can be especially frustrating: How do you help American employers understand the value of what you already know?
You may have managed projects in Lagos, worked in healthcare in Accra, taught in Nairobi, or built a career in technology in Yaoundé. Yet finding your professional footing in a new country can mean learning unfamiliar hiring practices and building a network from the beginning.
Upwardly Global is an organization worth knowing.
What Is Upwardly Global?
Upwardly Global is a national nonprofit that helps work-authorized immigrants, refugees, and asylees overcome employment barriers and rebuild their professional careers in the United States. It also works with employers and organizations serving newcomers to help make immigrant talent more visible in the workforce.
For African immigrants, its mission speaks to a practical concern: moving to a new country should not mean leaving your professional ambitions behind.
How Can It Help?
Upwardly Global’s free Career Coaching Program provides eligible participants with guidance, job-search preparation, and opportunities to develop professional connections.
Support includes:
- Career planning: Identify opportunities and develop a pathway toward your professional goals.
- Résumé and interview preparation: Present your experience in ways that U.S. recruiters understand.
- Skills development: Access courses and certifications.
- Networking opportunities: Connect with employers and strengthen your professional network.
Coaching is available online or in person for up to 12 months. The program is free for qualifying participants.
Who Can Apply?
According to Upwardly Global’s current eligibility information, applicants should:
- Have arrived in the United States within the past 10 years.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional training.
- Have intermediate or advanced English skills.
- Be currently outside their professional field.
- Have work authorization under an eligible immigration category.
Applicants can live anywhere in the United States. African nationality alone does not determine eligibility; applicants must meet the program’s requirements. Review the official eligibility information before applying.
How to Get Started
Begin by visiting Upwardly Global’s career coaching page and reviewing the requirements.
The organization describes an application process that includes signing up, attending a virtual onboarding session, verifying relevant documents, completing preparation activities, and working with a career coach on a personalized plan. Its services also include industry-focused support in areas such as business, healthcare, and technology.
Prepare to explain your education, previous experience, and career goals clearly. Think about the work you want to return to—and the questions you need help answering.
Understand What the Program Offers
Upwardly Global provides tools and guidance for your job search. It does not guarantee employment or operate as a placement agency. It also does not provide immigration legal advice, housing assistance, relocation support, or official degree evaluations.
Understanding these boundaries helps you approach the program with clear expectations and focus on the career support it offers.
Your Next Chapter Can Build on Your Experience
Taking a job to support yourself and your family while settling into a new country is a meaningful step. It can also be part of a longer journey toward your professional goals.
If you are an African immigrant seeking to reconnect with your field, explore whether Upwardly Global’s services fit your situation. A clearer plan, stronger applications, and new professional connections could help you take your next step with greater confidence.
Explore free career coaching and check your eligibility.
Know someone who could benefit? Share this article with a friend, a community association, or an African diaspora network.
Afrikagora TV
Video credit: Video featured by Upwardly Global.
