Panama has introduced a landmark immigration reform that, for the first time, creates a permanent residence pathway for international students who have spent an extended period studying in the country.
The policy shift marks a significant departure from Panama’s long-standing approach to student migration, which previously offered no transition from temporary study permits to permanent residency, regardless of how many years a student had lived and studied in the country.
Under a newly published executive decree, the Panamanian government has established a Permanent Resident subcategory for long-term students, targeting foreign nationals who can demonstrate more than six consecutive years of academic study in Panama.