The emergence of a mobile, professional social work workforce, successfully managing the demands of service-users, policy makers and the public at large in different countries across the globe, provides unprecedented opportunities for professional border-crossing. It is timely to generate New Zealand-specific data on professionals employed in the social services workforce in New Zealand so as to inform educational and institutional responses to this complex phenomenon. A study that seeks to develop a profile of migrant social workers in New Zealand and key issues experienced by these professionals, is underway. This article reports on the first phase of the project, comprising an examination of the key features of registered social workers in New Zealand with an overseas social work qualification and a review of issues and challenges faced by migrant professionals more generally, and by migrant social workers in particular.

• Summary:Economic rationalism has had an impact upon the position of many professions in Western society. Drawing on New Zealand material this article argues that neoliberal targeting of professions’ capacity to capture domains of service and their funding has fuelled deprofessionalization, but also created space for alternative domains of practice. A case for a civic model of social work practice is argued. • Findings:Debates about the nature of professions flourish in current literature. An exploration of the features of the social work profession suggests three types: heroic, altruistic and civic. The development of civic practice in social work is suggested, presupposing a reframing of the role and focus of the profession toward social inquiry applied to the rights and needs of citizens. • Application:The contribution of this article is to explore a move forward in the de-professionalization debates and to propose a civic social work grounded in advocacy and critical social inquiry.

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