‘Open Sesame’: Skilled Immigrants’ Experiences with Bridging Programmes in the Validation Process in Norway

Abstract International agreements on the mutual exchange of skill and labour transcend national borders. Occupational regulations, however, maintain them. Because of this, completion courses and re-education are often the only option for those who seek to reconnect with their pre-migration occupation. These courses usually come last in a chain of requirements which include, e.g., residence permits, language skills, and validation of former education. Our theoretical lens, an ecological framework of resilience inspired by Ungar, allows us to explore success factors within the individual, structural, and political experiences of migrants. We conducted 22 qualitative interviews with candidates enrolled in bridging programmes for nurses, teachers, and engineers in Norway and performed a narrative analysis of the interviews. Our findings show that the participants’ choice of a specific profession was motivated by determination, work opportunities, dreams of a better life, support from family, and the meaningfulness of contributing to society. They spoke of great professional responsibility in their country of origin; as professionals, they were respected in society, which, however, did not correspond with salary levels. In Norway, the participants lost their professional affiliation and encountered difficulties in professional recognition. They were motivated by acknowledgement, authorization, and qualification in the bridging programmes.