view of the bay area and Golden Gate bridge

Welcome to Path2Papers

Path2Papers (P2P) is a project that helps Dreamers pursue work visas and other pathways to legal permanent residency. Housed at Cornell Law School, P2P is one of the only programs in the country that combines experience in employer representation with expertise in evaluating immigration options for Dreamers.

Get an Individual Consultation and Support

We offer free consultations to Dreamers* and employers. These consultations include individualized assessments of immigration legalization options with an emphasis on employment-based immigration visas and strategies for those who have re-entered the United States on a non-immigrant visa.

*Our definition of a Dreamer includes individuals who entered the United States before their 18th birthday, arrived prior to 2021, and have graduated from high school in the United States. While we prioritize those in the San Francisco Bay Area or who have a connection with Cornell University, anyone residing in the United States may submit an interest form, and we will evaluate on a case-by-case basis whether we have the capacity to provide a consultation to individuals outside the region.

Resources

In the News

Krsna Avila from Path2Papers, Elia Gil Rojas from Justice Action Center and Leslie Arely Martinez from FWD.us

Path2Papers and partners host educational program in Tijuana for DACA recipients

Educators taught a comparative immigration law class and accompanied participants to different migrant shelters before taking them back to the border. ALL 250+ DACA recipients were successfully granted re-entry into the US.

graphic of ICE officer and kids in handcuffs

Trump’s Deportation Plans Threaten Millions of Families. Who Is Protecting Them?

Nearly six million kids fear family separation as Donald Trump’s administration prepares for the largest deportation operation in American history.

DACA Recipients Prepare for An Uncertain Future

DACA has weathered plenty of challenges in its 12-year history, and now many recipients are worried that president-elect Donald Trump will try to end the program like he did during his first term.

Senator Alex Padilla Discusses how the Biden-Harris Administration is Streamlining Dreamers' Ability to Live and Work in the U.S.

Padilla advises people to learn more about how DACA recipients and Dreamers who earned their college degrees can transition to a temporary work visa more easily.

woman and young child outside with a town behind them

‘I’m Not Going to Be Afraid Anymore’: How Biden’s Plan for Undocumented Immigrants Will Change Lives

Two women who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico as children share their stories and how Biden’s new immigration plan for families and ‘Dreamers’ will affect them.

Ep. 175: Employment Visa Paths for Dreamers and a Harris vs. Trump Presidential Race

BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown delves into a recent Biden administration executive order that helps Dreamers get a work visa, with Dan Berger, a noted immigration lawyer, writer and speaker, and fellow at Cornell Law School.

Fort Worth Man Says 'Game Changing' Executive Immigration Action Will Impact His Life

Juan Carlos Cerda's first memories are of spending time with his parents at a park in Atlanta, Georgia. He's lived in Texas since 2000. Here he's gotten married, started a career, and bought a home in Fort Worth.

Meet our Team

Our program brings together attorneys with decades of experience providing legal services to various entities — nonprofit agencies, multinational corporations, hospitals, and universities — who specialize in representing Dreamers.

Who We Are

Dan Berger, Senior Attorney

Dan Berger is a partner at the immigration law firm of Curran, Berger and Kludt in Northampton, MA; and an Immigration fellow/visiting scholar at Cornell Law School.

Camiel Becker, Senior Attorney

Camiel Becker is certified as a specialist in immigration law by the State Bar of California and has over twenty years of immigration law experience.

Krsna Avila, Legal Director

Krsna is based in San Francisco, California, and joins Cornell Law School’s Path2Papers with a wealth of personal and professional immigration experience. Krsna immigrated from Mexico to the United States as a child.

Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, Faculty Director

Jakki Kelley-Widmer has worked with hundreds of DACA and undocumented clients since 2013, including through the Immigration Law and Advocacy Clinic she founded at Cornell Law School in 2020.

Miguel Bocanegra, Staff Attorney

Miguel is from Seattle and has been practicing immigration law since 2004. He has experience with family-based petitions, removal defense, naturalization, as well as employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas.

Raju Patel, Staff Attorney

Raju is based out of Atlanta and has been practicing immigration law since 2004. For 20 years, she worked for a boutique law firm representing individuals and companies in all aspects of immigration law.

Katharine Gin, Strategic Advisor

Katharine is an immigrant rights entrepreneur and founder of The Legalization Project, which mobilizes support and resources for undocumented immigrants seeking permanent legal status in the United States.

Lily Kurtz, Project and Data Manager

Lily is a passionate defender of immigrant rights with significant experience in asylum and refugee services, particularly in securing protection and improving access for vulnerable LGBTQI+ individuals.