When globally mobile students graduate with highly specialized U.S. degrees, they often struggle to enter the U.S. workforce, due to an archaic federal immigration system that is not designed to benefit them. This dichotomy calls attention to the gap in scholarship and the ways in which students attempt to navigate these challenges and press ahead to secure a promising career. Four primary areas of importance are explored to advance sustained research on international students, refugees/asylees, and undocumented students in relation to higher education and immigration pathways: examining pressing themes; advancing theory; methodological innovation; and action-oriented research. Global migration trends are projected to increase over the coming years, driven by income gaps, demographic imbalances, political strife, and the increased need for higher education. The United States must proactively adapt to this reality and develop more efficient immigration policies to address these phenomena, and provide pathways for student populations to access post-graduation employment in order to contribute to the advancement of the U.S. economy.