Status in Motion: How Visa Transitions Shape Public Attitudes Toward Migrants

Legal status operates as a powerful social marker in the U.S. immigration context, shaping public perceptions of migrants' competence, trustworthiness, and societal value. While prior research has examined how static legal categories influence migrant experiences, less attention has been paid to how transitions between visa statuses affect public evaluations. This study investigates how different visa trajectories—upward, downward, and lateral shifts within the immigration hierarchy—shape stereotype attribution. Using a survey-based experimental design, respondents evaluated fictional migrant profiles undergoing various legal transitions. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), the study measures perceived competence and warmth, employing cluster analysis, propensity score matching, and mediation analysis to uncover how these social perceptions mediate the relationship between visa mobility and policy support. Special attention is paid to gendered dynamics, revealing how evaluations differ for female versus male migrants following the same visa pathways. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how both legal mobility and gender stratify public perceptions of migrants, informing debates on equity in immigration policy. By foregrounding the symbolic significance of visa transitions, this research challenges static classifications of migrant identity and highlights the socio-political consequences of legal status fluidity.