As 2024 comes to a close, we celebrate a year of breakthroughs in our mission to unlock the potential of work-authorized immigrants and create thriving, welcoming communities across the U.S. As we’ve done for nearly 25 years, we’re fostering inclusive environments where everyone can thrive, contribute, and support their families — a vision central to the American story.
None of this work is possible without support from our vibrant community — our job seekers, alumni, volunteers, Leadership Council members, donors and funders, workforce and employer partners, dedicated staff, and board members. We are grateful for your dedication in making our mission possible.
Key Breakthroughs:
10,000+ Job Seekers Served in 2024
60% increase in individuals served compared to 2023.
We surpassed our annual goal of supporting talented professionals from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Haiti, Venezuela, and beyond. Each job seeker arrives in the U.S. with their own story — many flee their homeland’s violence while others seek to reunite with family members.
Regardless, each brings unique skills that strengthen the employers who hire this untapped talent pool and the communities where they live. This year’s 10,000+ job seekers served through our career services and partnerships in 2024 represent a 60% increase in our impact from 2023.
53 Game-Changing Workforce Partnerships
Our collaboration with the Hispanic Federation, launched at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting, marks a transformative step in boosting financial security for Latino newcomers.
We established a new partnership with Miami-Dade College in July 2024 as part of a key strategy to engage community colleges. These institutions play a crucial role as newcomers seek to gain skills and rebuild careers. Upwardly Global is proud to partner with Miami-Dade in its efforts to support untapped immigrant talent.
Through partnerships, we ensure that access is embedded in familiar communities where trust and ease of access ensure services reflect the community’s needs and opportunities.
Our partnerships program clearly demonstrates how this approach is working and enables us to reach more untapped immigrant talent. As we close out 2024, the partnerships team has secured 53 partnerships in locations across the country.
AI Innovation With Purpose
We’re revolutionizing immigrant job placement with two cutting-edge tools. Upwardly Global’s early and strategic adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) reflects our values as we seek to elevate AI’s promise to redesign systems through a human-centered and equitable lens.
- Upwardly Global’s employer-focused tool leverages AI software to mitigate bias and accelerate immigrant and refugee hiring through its seamless, automated discovery of Upwardly Global job seekers for every open position.
- Upwardly Global’s product team built an AI resume-builder tool that customizes resumes and cover letters in minutes that are aligned to specific job openings and LinkedIn. This tool saves time and showcases the talent of job seekers working with Upwardly Global.
Policy Victories
As we learned throughout the height of the COVID-19 crisis, there are more than 99 million Americans without access to a primary healthcare doctor. Meanwhile, there are 128,000 internationally trained doctors sitting on the sidelines.
This is why Upwardly Global joined forces with IMPRINT to advance state and federal legislation that creates an express lane for these doctors without compromising quality. With early success in Illinois, we are thrilled to see progress now made in Michigan and Massachusetts.
First, Michigan’s state legislature passed a bill in March 2024 easing the process for international medical school graduates by removing barriers to earning their medical licenses in the state.
More recently, Massachusetts passed a bill that will help internationally trained physicians earn their licensure without having to enroll in a residency program.
At the federal level, Senator Tim Kaine’s Welcome Back to the Workforce Act promises federal support for international healthcare professionals.
Research and Reports
Our collaboration with the American Immigration Council produced vital research on immigrants’ contributions to the Great Lakes Region and highlighted compelling stories of immigrant job seekers securing professional roles aligned with their skills. With this report, Upwardly Global demonstrated how the business case for immigrants is a win-win for the communities across the Great Lakes region. Read the report to learn more about how investing in untapped talent translates into thriving communities.
Upwardly Global also provided critical insights to Westat for the “Bridging the Gap for New Americans Report,” which was released in April 2024. The report was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in response to the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act, which led the DOL to conduct a study of immigrants and refugees recently admitted into the United States.
Upwardly Global’s insights helped shape this report, highlighting the economic and social contributions that work-authorized immigrant talent brings to the U.S. According to Upwardly Global’s data, 76% of job seekers found it easier to prepare for job applications after gaining access to Upwardly Global’s resources.
Finally, we were pleased to release the findings from our work with immigrant medical professionals in this report: “The Returnship Model: A Blueprint for Healthcare Institutions Hiring Immigrant and Refugee Talent.” Upwardly Global spearheaded our innovative model of returnships — mid-career internships designed to help fill gaps in workforce needs, which addresses workforce shortages and enables experienced immigrant medical talent to return to their professional roles. The report highlights Upwardly Global’s returnship program with NewYork-Presbyterian, the first program of its kind for immigrants, refugees, and asylees, and provides a roadmap for other institutions to replicate.
We Are Upwardly Global
We are a global team working from communities across the country, united by a shared vision of immigrant inclusion. Our staff brings rich experiences and perspectives from around the world.
We embody a culture of belonging, fostering mutual respect, collaboration, and inclusivity. This culture empowers us to approach our mission with empathy and innovation, ensuring our work uplifts those we serve. By valuing each team member, we create a supportive environment that drives meaningful impact together.
Each member of Upwardly goes above and beyond to create an atmosphere that welcomes all those who enter our doors and inspires us to make lasting change for those we serve.
More To Come in 2025
This is just a glimpse of our 2024 achievements. Our full annual report will reveal even more ways we’re building bridges to opportunity. Join us as we continue to champion immigrant talent and strengthen America’s future.
Thank you to all of our partners, champions, and stakeholders for your trust and collaboration!