Business leaders and policy makers got together November 12 in New York City to discuss how to tap into the talent of skilled immigrants at a forum hosted by World Education Services (WES), a nonprofit that advises policymakers on how to work with skilled newcomers.

According to a 2008 study by Washington D.C. think-tank Migration Policy Institute, 27 percent (over 8.5 million) of the nation's roughly 32 million immigrants hold a Bachelor's Degree or higher, yet many work as dishwashers, security guards, or taxi drivers.

Skilled immigrant candidates often assume their training and professional experience will not be recognized in the United States, and believe they must accept jobs for which they are overqualified.

"This translates to lost earnings for immigrants and uncaptured tax revenue for the city," said Nicole Cicerani, executive director of Upwardly Global, an organization that helps skilled immigrant jobseekers connect with employers.

"When I arrived in the United States, I had no idea I didn't have to start from scratch," said Jean-Pierre Kamwa, an immigrant from Cameroon. Kamwa had his credentials evaluated by WES and went on to get a Master's Degree from Hunter College and found his own organization, Espoir, which helps immigrants in detention.

Economists agree the country will increasingly depend on immigrants to meet its future labor needs, notably for skilled positions in technology, engineering and health care. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 60 percent of the jobs in the 21st century will require skills possessed by only 20 percent of the native-born talent pool.