UNDERSTAND IT
Immigration Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terms that appear most often in U.S. immigration news, forms and policy updates.
60-day grace period
A discretionary period of up to 60 consecutive days after employment ends during which certain workers in E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1 and TN status, and their dependents, can be treated as maintaining status. It is set out in 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2).
Adjustment of status
The process of applying for a green card from within the United States, rather than through a consulate abroad. Filed on Form I-485.
Administrative Appeals Office (AAO)
The USCIS office that reviews appeals of certain USCIS denials and revocations, filed on Form I-290B, generally within 30 days of the decision. The USCIS office that issued the decision reviews the appeal first and may grant it. If it does not, it forwards the case to the AAO. Not every USCIS decision can be appealed to the AAO.
Administrative processing
Additional review of a visa application after a consular interview and before a final decision. While it is pending, the application is typically refused under INA 221(g), and the consular officer may later find the applicant qualified or conclude the applicant remains ineligible. The State Department says how long it takes varies with each case.
Advance parole
Permission, issued by USCIS on Form I-131, that lets certain applicants with a pending case travel abroad and return without abandoning the application.
Affidavit of support
Form I-864, in which a sponsor promises to financially support an intending immigrant so that the immigrant is not likely to rely on public benefits.
Age-out
What happens when a child turns 21 during the immigration process and no longer meets the definition of a child for a family-sponsored, employment-based or diversity visa petition. A child who ages out generally loses eligibility to immigrate on that petition. The Child Status Protection Act changes how age is calculated in some cases.
Asylum
Protection granted to a person already in the United States or at a port of entry who meets the definition of a refugee and cannot safely return to their country.
Beneficiary
The person on whose behalf a petition is filed, such as the relative or worker who would receive the immigration benefit.
Biometrics
Fingerprints, a photograph and a signature collected at a USCIS Application Support Center for background checks.
Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
The administrative body within the Department of Justice that hears appeals from immigration judges and certain USCIS decisions.
Bond hearing
A hearing in which an immigration judge decides whether a noncitizen detained by DHS may be released from custody and, if so, under what bond. Eligibility depends on which detention law applies to the person, and immigration judges have no authority over bond for some groups, such as those subject to mandatory detention.
Border Crossing Card (BCC)
A combined B-1/B-2 visitor visa and border crossing card, issued by the State Department only to Mexican citizens who live in Mexico and typically valid for ten years. It allows short visits within a limited border zone, and cardholders who want to travel farther into the United States request a Form I-94 at the port of entry. It does not permit work.
Cancellation of removal
A form of relief in which an immigration judge can cancel a removal order (INA 240A). For green card holders it generally requires at least 5 years as a permanent resident, 7 years of continuous residence after admission in any status, and no aggravated felony conviction. For others it generally requires 10 years of continuous physical presence, good moral character, no disqualifying convictions, and exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse, parent or child.
Cap-subject and cap-exempt (H-1B)
The H-1B category has an annual limit of 65,000 new visas or statuses per fiscal year, plus 20,000 more for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher. Petitions counted toward that limit are cap-subject. Petitions from higher education institutions, their related or affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or governmental research organizations are cap-exempt.
Certiorari
A request, called a petition for a writ of certiorari, asking the Supreme Court to review a lower court decision. The Court does not have to take the case and typically does so when it involves an unusually important legal principle or when federal appeals courts have read a law differently. In civil cases the petition generally must be filed within 90 days after judgment.
Change of status
Moving from one nonimmigrant category to another without leaving the United States, such as from B-2 visitor to F-1 student. It is requested from USCIS, usually on Form I-539 or Form I-129 depending on the category, and USCIS decides in its discretion. The request generally must be filed before the current authorized stay expires, and some categories, such as K-1, cannot change status. It is different from adjustment of status, which leads to permanent residence.
Chargeability
The country an applicant's visa number is counted against for per-country limits, normally the country of birth rather than citizenship or residence.
Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)
A federal law that changes how age is calculated for certain children in the green card process, so a child who turns 21 while a case is pending may still be treated as a child. The result is called the CSPA age. For adjustment of status applications filed on or after August 15, 2025, USCIS treats a visa as available based on the Final Action Dates chart in the Visa Bulletin.
Circuit court
The U.S. Court of Appeals for one of the 12 regional circuits, which reviews decisions of the federal district courts in its region. A 13th court of appeals, the Federal Circuit, hears certain types of cases nationwide. Appeals courts review the record rather than retrying a case, and their decisions bind lower courts in the same circuit, so the law can differ between circuits. A noncitizen can generally ask a court of appeals to review a final Board of Immigration Appeals order.
Concurrent filing
Filing an immigrant petition (such as Form I-140 or an approved family-based petition) at the same time as the adjustment of status application (Form I-485), instead of waiting for the petition to be approved first. This is only possible when a visa number is immediately available in the applicant's category.
Conditional permanent resident
A green card holder whose status is valid for two years, typically through a recent marriage or an EB-5 investment, and who must file to remove the conditions before it expires.
Consular processing
Applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, as an alternative to adjustment of status inside the United States.
Continuous residence
A naturalization requirement that the applicant has kept their residence in the United States throughout the statutory period. An absence of more than 6 months but less than 1 year is presumed to break it unless the applicant shows otherwise, and an absence of 1 year or more breaks it automatically, per the USCIS Policy Manual.
Cross-chargeability
An exception to the rule that an immigrant visa counts against the per-country limit of the applicant's country of birth. To keep a family together, a spouse or child may instead be charged to the country of the spouse or parent they are accompanying or following to join (INA 202(b), 22 CFR 42.12). It depends on place of birth, not citizenship.
Current
A Visa Bulletin listing, shown as C, meaning visa numbers are available for all qualified applicants in that category regardless of priority date.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Work authorization for F-1 students for training that is an integral part of an established curriculum and directly related to their major. A designated school official authorizes it in SEVIS and on the Form I-20, and the student may start only after receiving the endorsed I-20. Students generally need one full academic year of enrollment first, and 12 months or more of full-time CPT makes a student ineligible for post-completion OPT at that education level.
Dates for Filing
The Visa Bulletin chart showing the earliest priority dates for which applicants may submit documents, or in some months file for adjustment of status, ahead of a visa number being available.
Deferred action
A discretionary decision not to pursue removal of a person for a set period. It does not confer lawful status. DACA is one program built on it.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
A policy begun in 2012 under which certain people who came to the United States as children could request deferred action, a discretionary decision not to pursue removal for a set period, along with work authorization. Deferred action does not provide lawful status. Under current court orders, USCIS continues to process renewals but is not approving initial requests.
Derivative beneficiary
A spouse or unmarried child under 21 who can immigrate with, or follow to join, a principal applicant under the same petition.
Diversity Visa
An annual program under INA 203(c) that makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available through a random drawing run by the Department of State, for people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Entrants generally need at least a high school education or equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience. Being selected does not guarantee a visa.
Dual intent
The principle that some temporary visa holders, such as H-1B and L-1, may pursue permanent residence without jeopardizing their nonimmigrant status.
Duration of status (D/S)
The period of stay for F, J and I nonimmigrants, who are admitted for as long as they maintain their program or activity rather than until a fixed date. It appears as D/S on Form I-94.
EAD (Employment Authorization Document)
A card issued by USCIS on Form I-765 that allows certain noncitizens to work legally while another application is pending or a status permits it.
Employment-based preference categories (EB-1 to EB-5)
The five groups of employment immigrant visas: priority workers, advanced-degree professionals, skilled and other workers, special immigrants, and investors.
Executive order
A directive from the President to federal agencies and officials about how to run the executive branch and carry out the law. Executive orders are numbered and published in the Federal Register, and they generally bind the executive branch.
Extraordinary ability (EB-1A)
The EB-1 category for people who can show sustained national or international acclaim, with achievements recognized in their field. The petition must include either a one-time major internationally recognized award or evidence meeting at least three of the criteria listed in 8 CFR 204.5(h)(3). No job offer or labor certification is required, and the person can file the Form I-140 on their own.
Family-sponsored preference categories (F1 to F4)
The four groups of numerically limited family immigrant visas for adult children and siblings of citizens, and spouses and children of permanent residents.
Federal Register
The daily journal of the U.S. government where proposed and final rules, notices and executive orders are published.
Final Action Dates
The Visa Bulletin chart showing the priority dates for which a visa number can actually be issued or a green card approved in that month.
Final rule
The version of a federal regulation that an agency publishes in the Federal Register after reviewing public comments on a proposed rule. It sets an effective date, which generally falls at least 30 days after publication, and its text is added to the Code of Federal Regulations.
Good moral character
A requirement for naturalization. Applicants must show good moral character during the statutory period, generally the five years before filing (three for certain spouses of U.S. citizens), and continuing until the oath. USCIS decides each case individually, and the standard of proof is preponderance of the evidence.
Green card
The common name for the Permanent Resident Card, proof that a person has been granted lawful permanent residence.
I-130
Petition for Alien Relative, filed by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to establish a qualifying family relationship with an intending immigrant.
I-140
Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, filed by an employer (or in some categories the worker) to classify a person under an employment-based category.
I-485
Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, the form used to apply for a green card from inside the United States.
I-751
Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. A conditional permanent resident who received a 2-year green card through marriage files it to have the conditions removed. A joint petition with the spouse must be filed within the 90 days before the conditional card expires, while a request to waive the joint filing requirement can be filed at other times. If no petition is filed, conditional resident status ends automatically after two years.
I-94
The Arrival/Departure Record that U.S. Customs and Border Protection creates when a nonimmigrant is admitted. It shows the class of admission and an Admit Until date, and most are now electronic and available on the CBP I-94 website. USCIS can also issue one when it approves an extension of stay or a change of status.
Immediate relative
Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens. These categories are not subject to annual numerical limits.
Immigrant visa
A visa issued at a consulate to a person intending to live permanently in the United States. On admission the holder becomes a permanent resident.
Immigration judge
An attorney appointed by the Attorney General who presides over removal proceedings in immigration court, part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Inadmissibility
A finding that a person is not eligible for a visa, admission or a green card under the grounds listed in INA 212(a). The grounds cover health, crimes, security, public charge, misrepresentation, unlawful presence, prior removal and others. Some grounds can be waived.
Interim final rule
A rule that takes effect without a prior comment period. The agency accepts public comments after it is published and may revise the rule afterward.
K-1 fiancé(e) visa
A nonimmigrant visa for the foreign fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen, who must marry the citizen within 90 days of admission. The citizen files Form I-129F with USCIS, and the couple generally must have met in person within the two years before filing, unless an exception applies. After the marriage, the spouse may apply for a green card on Form I-485.
Labor certification (PERM)
The Department of Labor process in which an employer shows that no qualified U.S. worker is available for a position, required for most EB-2 and EB-3 petitions.
Labor Condition Application (LCA)
A Department of Labor form, ETA-9035, that an employer files before petitioning for an H-1B, H-1B1 or E-3 worker. In it the employer attests to standards on wages, working conditions, labor disputes and notice to workers. A certified LCA is then used to support the petition filed with USCIS.
Motion to reopen
A request asking an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals to reopen a case after a decision so new facts or evidence can be considered. As a general rule it must be filed within 90 days of the final order, and only one is generally allowed, with exceptions set out in INA 240(c)(7) and the regulations.
Multinational executive or manager (EB-1C)
The EB-1 category for managers and executives transferred to a U.S. employer from a related company abroad. The person must have worked abroad for a qualifying organization for 1 year of the previous 3 and have a permanent job offer in a managerial or executive position with a U.S. employer that has been doing business for at least a year. The employer files Form I-140, and no labor certification is required. It is not available for opening a new U.S. office.
National Interest Waiver (NIW)
A waiver of the job offer and labor certification requirement for certain EB-2 applicants. Under the Matter of Dhanasar framework, USCIS asks whether the proposed endeavor has substantial merit and national importance, whether the person is well positioned to advance it, and whether, on balance, it would benefit the United States to waive the job offer and labor certification requirements. Applicants can file the petition themselves.
National Visa Center (NVC)
The State Department office that collects fees and documents from approved petitioners before a case is scheduled at a consulate.
Nationwide injunction
A court order that blocks enforcement of a rule or policy for everyone, not only the parties to the case. In Trump v. CASA, decided June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court held that the Judiciary Act of 1789 does not authorize federal courts to issue injunctions broader than needed to give the parties complete relief, while leaving other paths to wider relief open.
Naturalization
The process by which a permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen, generally after three or five years of residence, by filing Form N-400.
Nonimmigrant visa
A visa for a temporary stay for a specific purpose, such as study, tourism, or employment, for example F-1, B-2 or H-1B.
Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID)
A written USCIS notice saying the agency intends to deny a petition or application, explaining why, and giving the filer a chance to respond. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8), the response time cannot exceed 30 days. Since a policy update on August 5, 2026, USCIS officers may in some cases deny a case without first issuing a NOID or a Request for Evidence.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
A formal announcement of a rule an agency intends to adopt, usually open for public comment before it takes effect.
Notice to Appear (NTA)
The charging document that starts removal proceedings in immigration court.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Temporary work authorization that lets eligible F-1 students work in a job directly related to their field of study. It can be used before or after completing a program, for up to 12 months in total at each education level, and students with certain STEM degrees can apply for a 24-month extension. USCIS grants it on Form I-765 after the school's designated school official recommends it.
Oversubscribed
A category or country for which demand exceeds the available visa numbers, so a cutoff date is listed in the Visa Bulletin.
Parole
Discretionary, temporary permission for a person who may be inadmissible to enter or remain in the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, set out in INA 212(d)(5). Parole is not an admission, and a paroled person is still treated as an applicant for admission.
Per-country limit
The cap, set at 7 percent of the combined family and employment totals, on how many preference visas may go to natives of any single country in a fiscal year.
Petitioner
The person or employer who files a petition on behalf of a beneficiary, such as a relative filing an I-130 or an employer filing an I-140.
Portability (AC21)
Rules allowing certain employment-based applicants whose I-485 has been pending 180 days or more to change employers without losing the petition.
Preliminary injunction
A temporary court order pausing enforcement of a rule or policy while a legal case is still being decided.
Presidential proclamation
A formal statement from the President addressed to the public. In immigration, proclamations are often issued under INA 212(f), which lets the President suspend or restrict the entry of noncitizens when the President finds their entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. The Supreme Court read that authority broadly in Trump v. Hawaii (2018), though courts have said it cannot override other parts of the INA.
Priority date
The date a petition was filed, or a labor certification was submitted, used to determine an applicant's place in line for a visa category with limited annual numbers.
Provisional unlawful presence waiver (I-601A)
A waiver filed on Form I-601A that lets certain applicants ask USCIS to excuse the unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility before they leave the United States for an immigrant visa interview abroad. The applicant must show that a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent would suffer extreme hardship. Approval is discretionary and covers unlawful presence only, not other grounds of inadmissibility.
Public charge
A ground of inadmissibility for applicants an officer finds likely at any time to become a public charge. For Form I-485 filings on or after September 18, 2026, USCIS guidance lets officers weigh a wider range of means-tested public benefits, not only cash assistance.
Refugee
A person outside their country of nationality who cannot return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion (INA 101(a)(42)). Admission as a refugee is discretionary, and annual admission levels are set through a Presidential Determination. A person already in the United States or at a port of entry with a similar claim may instead seek asylum.
Registry
A provision, INA 249, under which USCIS has discretion to create a record of lawful admission for permanent residence for a person who has lived continuously in the United States since before January 1, 1972, and meets other requirements. It applies whether the person is in lawful status or not, but few people qualify because of the date.
Removal proceedings
The formal court process, formerly called deportation, in which the government seeks to remove a noncitizen from the United States.
Request for Evidence (RFE)
A USCIS notice asking for additional documents or information before a decision can be made on an application or petition.
Retrogression
When a Visa Bulletin cutoff date moves backward, usually because demand exceeded the numbers available for that category.
Schedule A
A list of occupations in 20 CFR 656.5 for which the Department of Labor has already determined there are not enough available U.S. workers. Group I covers professional nurses and physical therapists, and Group II covers exceptional ability in the sciences or arts. For these occupations the employer submits the labor certification directly to USCIS with the Form I-140 instead of going through the usual PERM process.
SEVIS
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, the DHS database that tracks F, M and J students and exchange visitors and the schools that host them. Designated school officials update each record, issue the Form I-20 or DS-2019, and authorize or recommend work options such as CPT and OPT.
Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status
A classification for certain children in the United States whom a state juvenile court has found to be abused, neglected, abandoned or subject to a similar basis under state law, and who cannot be reunited with a parent. The child files Form I-360 with USCIS before turning 21, with the juvenile court order as evidence, and may later apply for a green card.
Stay of removal
A temporary pause on carrying out a removal order. ICE can grant an administrative stay on Form I-246 under 8 CFR 241.6, which is discretionary, and an immigration judge, the Board of Immigration Appeals or a federal court can also order one. A stay does not give the person legal status.
T visa
T nonimmigrant status for victims of a severe form of human trafficking who comply with reasonable law enforcement requests or qualify for an exemption or exception. It is granted for up to 4 years with work authorization, is capped at 5,000 principal grants a year, and may lead to a green card.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
A designation that lets nationals of certain countries facing conflict or disaster stay and work in the United States temporarily.
Temporary restraining order
A short-term court order that preserves the status quo until the court can decide a motion for a preliminary injunction. In federal court, one issued without notice to the other side expires within 14 days unless the court extends it for good cause or the other side consents (Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b)).
U visa
U nonimmigrant status for victims of certain crimes who suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and have been, are being or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement. It requires a certification on Form I-918 Supplement B, lasts up to 4 years with work authorization, and is capped at 10,000 principal grants a year.
Unlawful presence
Time spent in the United States without admission or after an authorized stay has ended, which can count toward a reentry bar. Under INA 212(a)(9)(B), more than 180 days but less than a year, followed by departure, can lead to a 3-year bar, and one year or more can lead to a 10-year bar, if the person seeks admission again within that period. Some periods, such as time spent under age 18, do not count.
USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that adjudicates immigration benefits.
Vacatur
A court order that cancels an agency rule or action and removes its legal effect. Under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 706, courts set aside agency action found to be unlawful, which is traditionally treated as vacatur. Whether vacatur can reach beyond the parties to a case is disputed after Trump v. CASA.
VAWA self-petition
A petition under the Violence Against Women Act that lets certain abused spouses and children of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, and abused parents of U.S. citizens, ask USCIS for immigrant classification on their own on Form I-360, without the abuser's knowledge or consent. An approved self-petition may allow the person to apply for a green card.
Visa Bulletin
A monthly State Department publication showing which family and employment visa categories currently have visas available.
Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
A program that lets citizens or nationals of designated countries travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without a visa. Travelers need approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before boarding and must hold an e-passport. ESTA approval does not guarantee admission, because a CBP officer decides at the port of entry.
Voluntary departure
Permission to leave the United States within a set period, at the person's own expense, instead of being ordered removed. Immigration judges and DHS can grant it, and the person must leave by the deadline the grant sets.
Waiver
A request to excuse a ground of inadmissibility, such as unlawful presence, usually filed on Form I-601 or I-601A.
Withholding of removal
Protection that bars removal to a particular country where a person's life or freedom would be threatened, or where torture is more likely than not. The judge still issues a removal order, the protection does not lead to a green card, and DHS may be able to remove the person to a third country.
Browse the FAQ for common immigration questions and explanations.
Immigration FAQ