How does support from newcomer support organizations (NSOs) affect highly-skilled refugees’ job identities and integration? To answer this, we interviewed 25 managers and staff from NSOs in Canada and 11 recently arrived, highly-skilled refugees. We show how NSOs shape refugees’ understanding of career options and their professional identities.

NSOs tried to manage refugees’ expectations about career opportunities while also encouraging hope for the future. Refugees reacted by resisting the messages about managing expectations, creating new identities, or viewing their current situation as temporary.