Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
3-30-2026
Abstract
You grow up in a rural town abroad where English is barely taught. You teach yourself the language, travel hours to take standardized tests, and earn admission to a United States university. You stay for law school, believing that talent and persistence will bring stability. Near graduation, the question changes: what happens when the student visa expires, and life beyond campus begins?
The United States should create a meaningful, predictable pathway from F-1 student status to permanent residence. International students are welcomed as students and future workers, yet the law still structures them as temporary visitors. That instability is not accidental. It follows from the design of the student visa, the conditions attached to work authorization, and the narrow bridge from student status to permanent residence.
This post was originally published on the Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice website on March 30, 2026. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above.
Recommended Citation
Palese, Benedetta, "Temporary by Design: Why International Students Need a Real Pathway to Permanent Residence" (2026). Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice (ERSJ) Blog. 107.
https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/ersj-blog/107
