Date: 202101
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.TRACON, US
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class E ZZZ4
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Confusion
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Airport; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
Primary problem: Environment - Non Weather Related

Narrative: On Approach into ZZZ [airport] at night on the ZZZZZ arrival requested Runway XX for landing from ZZZ Approach. ZZZ Approach then instructed a 180 heading for the Runway XX. We could see we were getting on descent that was already going to be high to start with and requested a descent from ZZZ Approach. ZZZ let us down to 5;200 feet due to terrain in the area. This was not how we had briefed or planned to enter the visual approach. We had discussed and gone over the pages enroute and decided based on weather and winds and go-around factors that the coded visual to 15 would be the wisest choice. However; we thought that would start from ZZZZZ1. The vector ATC gave us pointed the plane toward the final approach fix for the Coded Visual Approach ZZZZZ2 bypassing the rest of the waypoints on the approach. The FO was flying the approach and used a high rate of descent to get down. Got a descent rate call on the approach but that was also expected due to the 3.2 degree glide slope. At 1;000 feet AGL I was 10 knots fast right at the edge of the stable and decent rate was 1350 ft/min. I thought I had til 500 feet to get stable since it was a visual approach. I should have either gone around; requested Runway Y or maybe executed an S-Turn. The plane landed uneventfully in about 3;500 feet using a Flaps 40 landing.This was my first time flying into ZZZ and the Captain had only flown in there once before in the previous year also has not flown much during the year due to leave. ATC gave us a vector toward the Final Approach Fix on the Coded Visual Approach which was not expected from reading the pages. Also; the Captain and I were under the belief we had until 500 feet to be stable due to the old SOPs. Furthermore; on the descent into ZZZ using the ZZZZZ3 arrival you are on with ZZZ1 Approach and do not get handed off to ZZZ Approach until 6;000 feet so you don't get a runway assignment very far out. Being at night first time into a short field with mountainous terrain was a cause as well.I think on the company pages it would help to paint a better picture if there were notes to not accept a vector to the visual and proceed direct to ZZZZZ for the visual approach to Runway X if that is the runway of choice. If entering on the ZZZZZ3 arrival a note letting the crew know they won't talk to ZZZ Approach til below 10;000 feet. Perhaps at night to not accept a visual approach to Runway X and use the ILS to Runway Z.




Synopsis: Air carrier First Officer reported an unstable approach and stated they should have executed a go-around.