If you’re a noncitizen student or graduate without a clear pathway to longterm immigration status in the U.S., figuring out your options to live and work here after graduation can feel overwhelming. This section brings together practical resources for students and graduates in temporary or precarious immigration statuses who are exploring employment-based pathways in the U.S. Whether you’re just getting started or looking for your next steps, you can use the Legal Pathway Learning Tool to better understand different immigration options and check if you’re eligible for a free immigration consultation to get personalized legal guidance.
Whether you are a student or a graduate in a fragile or temporary status, the following resources will provide you with an overview of the options that may be open to you:
- From Campus to Career: A Practical Guide to Employment-Based Visas for Noncitizen Students in Higher Education. This guide developed by the Presidents’ Alliance, Path2Papers & FWD.us shares what noncitizen students in the United States—whether undocumented, DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, humanitarian parolees, or on student visas—need to know about qualifying for nonimmigrant and immigrant visa options upon graduation.
- Employment-Based Categories in the United States. This fact sheet from the American Immigration Council provides basic information on how the employment-based U.S. immigration system works.
To explore employment-based pathways options and access practical resources based on your current visa/status, check out the following sections:
Additional Audiences and Resources:
- For higher education resources, visit this page.
- For employer and legal counsel resources, visit this page.
- To get legal help, visit this page.
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