Abstract
Building on Menjivar's (Am J Sociol 111(4):999–1037, 2006) concept of legal liminality, this article examines the negative effects of the transition from a temporary to a permanent legal status for Colombian migrant professionals. Drawing from thirty-one in-depth interviews with Colombian computer engineers who migrated in the 1990s, this study reveals how legal status adjustment stipulations invalidate the credentials and professional experience of these migrants, delay their economic and professional advancement and deeply affect their life-course decisions. I demonstrate that Colombian migrant professionals tolerate these repercussions in order to avoid returning to the political violence and economic crises of their home country. By comparing these findings with the experiences of Central American migrants, I argue that, regardless of their migration motivations and educational backgrounds, immigration law negatively affects the incorporation of different Latino/a migrants in similar ways.
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