Immigration 101: Phrases and terms as defined by U.S. government

Jan. 16--Here are some popular terms defined by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (https://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary):

Alien: Any person not a citizen or national of the United States. "Foreign national" is a synonym and used outside of statutes when referring to noncitizens of the U.S.

Asylee: A foreign national in the United States or at a port of entry who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution or the fear thereof must be based on religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

Conditional resident: Any foreign national granted permanent resident status on a conditional basis (for example, a spouse of a U.S. citizen or an immigrant investor) who must petition to remove the conditions of their status before the second anniversary of the approval date of their conditional status.

DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program launched in 2012. (For more information, go to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 2017 Announcement page.)

Deferred action: A type of prosecutorial discretion that allows an individual to remain in the United States for a set period of time, unless the deferred action is terminated for some reason. Deferred action is determined on a case-by-case basis and only establishes lawful presence. It does not provide immigration status or benefits of any kind. DACA is one type of deferred action.

Denial (as compared to reject): When USCIS notifies applicants or petitioners that the benefit will not be granted, or that they have not shown they are eligible for the benefit they have requested.

ICE: An abbreviation for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security.

Lawful permanant resident: Any person not a citizen of the United States who is living in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant. Also known as "permanent resident alien," "resident alien permit holder," and "Green Card holder."

Nonimmigrant: A foreign national who is admitted to the United States for a specific temporary period of time. There are clear conditions on their stay. There are a large variety of nonimmigrant categories, and each exists for a specific purpose and has specific terms and conditions. Nonimmigrant classifications include:

* Foreign government officials

* Visitors for business and for pleasure

* Foreign nationals in transit through the United States

* Treaty traders and investors

* Students

* International representatives

* Temporary workers and trainees

* Representatives of foreign information media

* Exchange visitors

* Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens

* Intracompany transferees

* NATO officials;

* Religious workers

Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children.

Refugee: Generally, any person outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on the person's race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. For a legal definition of refugee, see section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Temporary protected status: The secretary of the Department of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.

We may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States. Eligible individuals without nationality who last lived in the designated country may also be granted TPS. The secretary may designate a country for TPS due to the following temporary conditions in the country: ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war); an environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane); or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. Grants of TPS are initially made for periods of 6 to 18 months and may be extended.

Visa: A U.S. visa allows the bearer to apply for entry to the U.S. in a certain classification, such as student (F), visitor (B) or temporary worker (H). A visa does not grant the bearer the right to enter the United States. The Department of State is responsible for visa adjudication at U.S. Embassies and Consulates outside of the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immigration inspectors determine the admission, length of stay and conditions of stay at a port of entry.

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