Upwardly Global provides job preparation, volunteer, workshops and link to job posting/information for immigrants in the Chicagoland area.

• Step-by-step licensing process
• Official Regulatory and testing sites
• Preparing for a Job search in the United States: including writing resumes and letters, as well as preparing for interviews
• Job Placement support available to individuals enrolled in the Professional Immigrant Jobseeker Program.
• Licenses and certifications
• Networking skills and self-promotion
• Degree Evaluation

Immigrant jobseekers who qualify to participate in Upwardly Global are already permanent residents of the United States. This means they are fully authorized to accept employment offers and need only to complete an I-9. Also, all Upwardly Global jobseekers speak and write English. Currently, Illinois residents can access the services of Upwardly Global at sites within the Chicago Metro area.

To quickly learn how Upwardly Global works, listen to a short informative piece about the non-profit organization done by Jennifer Ludden for NPR’s All Things Considered

Other Resources

• The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights provides links to organizations providing assistance to immigrants.
• The Immigration Project with an office in Bloomington, IL can be contacted by email or toll-free phone to provide assistance or referral services to immigrants.
• Center for Advancement of Racial & Ethnic Equity (ACE) established the Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity (CAREE) in 1981 to address declining rates of minority participation in higher education. From this site you can access the "College Is Possible" initiative.
• Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession Sponsored by the American Bar Association, a central source for online information on finding jobs and enhancing lawyers' careers. Visit for tips on finding the right job and maximizing your career, job postings, tools and links to career related resources. This site also offer a list of links to state and local bar associations' (including minority bars) career pages.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Included here is information about EEO policies, contacts, programs, activities and efforts. The mission of the Office of EEO is to ensure that the rights of employees and applicants are protected and that the agency promotes a proactive equal employment opportunity program, to ensure that the goal of an ethnically diverse workplace is achieved.
• Illinois Diversity is a network of local diversity employment Web sites committed to connecting employers with qualified, local applicants of all backgrounds. Click on the find a job tab and you can browse the jobs by categories, by Companies, or by other criteria.
• OAI: Innovative Workforce Development Advocate and promote equal access to education, training, and career opportunities primarily for culturally diverse populations and communities in poverty.
• WelcometoUSA.gov The United States is welcoming legal immigrants with a new web site that helps them find such things as the requirements for naturalization and the location of nearby English-language classes. WelcometoUSA.gov is a comprehensive site aimed at helping newcomers learn about America's civic values and history, settle into their new communities and take part in the life of the nation.