Terms/Abbreviations

Terms
A Primer of Immigration Legal Terms - These are very basic terms defined without reference to the United States Code, or Federal case precedent. This is not intended as legal advice.

ADMISSION:
A non-citizen allowed to lawfully enter the United States is “admitted.” See LAWFUL ENTRY below

UNITED STATES CITIZEN:
A person who was born in the United States or certain territories, or a person who was granted citizenship through the naturalization process, or a person who acquired citizenship through parents.

NON–CITIZEN:
Any person who is in the United States and is not a CITIZEN. This includes Lawful Permanent Residents. In the Immigration and Nationality Act the term “Aliens” is used to denote non-citizens.

DOCUMENTED:
Authorized by the United States Government to be in the country. Includes refugees, asylum claimants, work or student visas, as well as Lawful Permanent Residents.

UNDOCUMENTED:
Entering the United States without inspection (See LAWFUL ENTRY), or who was on a temporary visa and overstayed the period specified by the temporary visa.

CONVICTION:
A formal judgment of guilt entered by a court, or if formal adjudication of guilt has been withheld, a judge or jury has found the alien guilty or the alien has entered a plea of guilty or no contest (nolo contendre) or has admitted sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt, and the judge has ordered some form of punishment, penalty, or restraint on the alien’s liberty to be imposed.

EXPUNGEMENT:
A defendant is sentenced after a formal judgment of guilt, and after serving a period of probation, which may include jail, the conviction is ordered dismissed by the judge. May assist with some drug related crimes but may not remove the immigration consequences for other crimes.

DEFERRED ENTRY OF JUDGEMENT:
A defendant pleads guilty, but no formal judgment of guilt is entered, and after a period of good behavior, treatment, community service, or other terms required by the court, the charges are dismissed and the defendant is discharged.

LAWFUL ENTRY:
When the United States Government authorizes a non-citizen to enter the country, and the non-citizen enters the country after inspection by an immigration officer.

INADMISSIBLE:
A non-citizen is barred from entering the United States if outside the country, and will be unable to obtain lawful status – such as lawful permanent residence, or naturalization. Someone can be inadmissible even when a person has another basis for legal status, for example, in cases where the person is married to a United States Citizen.

DEPORTABLE:
See also REMOVAL Only Non-Citizens are deportable. Citizens are not deportable. If a non-citizen is deportable, their lawful basis or legal status to remain in the United States is taken away. The person may be detained and physically removed from the United States and sent to the country of origin. The status as “deportable” can arise by operation of law, through specific conduct (including drug addiction or abuse, or violation of a domestic violence protective order) or by the entry of criminal convictions.

NATURALIZATION:
The process through which a non-citizen becomes a citizen. For most peoples, this includes a statutorily defined period of continuous lawful residence, as a LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT, with actual physical presence in the United States, and the specific INS district time requirements. There is an application, an interview, a good moral character requirement and an English Language and civics test. There are variations, for example if one has resided in the United States for 20 years as a Lawful Permanent Resident, then there is a simplified civics test available in languages other than English.

REMOVAL:
The current name of deportation proceedings, and the specific title of the order that will subject the non-citizen to “removal” from the United States to their country of origin.

WAIVERS:
Some grounds for deportability and inadmissibility may be “waived” or legally excused and forgiven by an immigration judge or official.

LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT:
A non-citizen, authorized to remain in the United States indefineately – holders of the Alien Resident Receipt Card or Permanent Residence Card (Form I-551), commonly known as a “green card.”

VISA:
Originally a French word with a Latin root, “visa,” meant “to see” (videre). Now it is a specific term given for a stamp, or endorsement on a passport, and any other supporting documentation, that indicates that the holder is allowed to enter, leave or stay for a specified period of time in a country. For the United States, there are two general categories of visas: IMMIGRANT VISAS and NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS.

IMMIGRANT VISAS:
This type of visa allows non-citizens to remain in the United States on a permanent basis. The physical green card, which has not been green for many years, or as it is technically known, a Alien Resident Receipt Card or Permanent Residence Card (Form I-551), is claimed after arrival and entry into the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa, or after a legal adjustment of status from a non-immigrant visa.

NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS:
These visas allow for temporary entry, for a limited time, and for a limited purpose. Some are renewable and some are not. There are a wide variety of categories for these types of visas. They include tourist visas, student visas, temporary and specialty worker visas.

Abbreviations
Common abbreviations in immigration law

ACE – American Counsel on Education
ACWIA – American Competitiveness and Workplace Improvement Act
ASC – Application Support Center
ASO – Administrative School Official

BIA – Board of Immigration Appeals

CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
CIPRIS – Coordinated Interagency Partnership Regulating International Students
CPB – Customs and Border Protection

DED – Differed Enforced Departure
DHS – Department of Homeland Security
DLEA – Designated Law Enforcement Agency
DOJ – Department of Justice
DOL – Department of Labor
DOS – Department of State
DSO – Designated School Official

EAD – Employment Authorization Document
EFT – Electronic Funds Transfer
EIN – Employer ID Number
EOIR – Executive Office for Immgration Review

FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigations

HRIFA – Haitian Refugee Immigrant Fairness Act

ID - Identification
IJ – Immigration Judge
INS – Immigration and Nationalization Service
IT – Information Technology

LPR – Lawful Permanent Resident

OCAHO – Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer
OHS – Office of Homeland Security
OSTP – Office of Science and Technology Policy

NACARA – Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central Amereican Relief Act
NAICS – North American Industry Classification System
NAS – National Accademy of Sciences
NTA – Notice to Appear
NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administraion
NIST- National Institute of Standards and Technology
NIH – National Institute of Health
NSF – National Science Foundation
NVC – National Visa Center

PDSO – Principal Designated School Official
PRUCOL – Permanently Residing Under Color of Law

SEVIS – Student Exchange Visitor Information System
SOFA – Status of Forces Agreement

TPS - Temporary Protected Status
TWOV – Transit With Out Visa

UN – United Nations
USCIS – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
USPS – United States Postal Service
USUN – United States Mission to United Nations

VWP – Visa Waiver Program

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