Immigration Law Glossary

USCIS Forms

The forms a petitioner, applicant, or beneficiary files with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Each form has its own fee, eligibility rules, and processing time.

Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative)

Filed by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to establish a qualifying family relationship with a foreign-born relative. It does not grant any status by itself.

Form I-130A (Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary)

Companion form required when the I-130 beneficiary is a spouse. It collects the beneficiary's address and employment history for the past five years.

Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence)

Also called Adjustment of Status (AOS), this is how a person already in the United States applies to become a lawful permanent resident without leaving the country.

Form I-601A (Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver)

A waiver filed before leaving the U.S. for consular processing, asking USCIS to forgive the 3 or 10-year bar triggered by past unlawful presence.

Form I-589 (Application for Asylum)

The application for asylum and withholding of removal. Must be filed within one year of last arrival in the U.S., subject to limited exceptions.

Form I-360 (Petition for Special Immigrant)

Used by VAWA self-petitioners (abused spouses, children, or parents), Special Immigrant Juveniles, religious workers, and several other special immigrant categories.

Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiance(e))

Filed by a U.S. citizen to bring a foreign fiance(e) to the United States on a K-1 visa for marriage within 90 days of entry.

Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers)

The employment-based equivalent of the I-130. Filed by a U.S. employer (or by the worker in self-petition categories) for EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 green card cases.

Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization)

Used to request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Common eligibility categories include c9 (pending I-485), c8 (asylum applicants), and c11 (parole).

Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document)

Used to request advance parole, a refugee travel document, or a reentry permit. Adjustment applicants commonly file I-131 with I-485 to preserve travel ability.

Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence)

Filed by a conditional resident (CR-1) within the 90 days before the second anniversary of receiving conditional status, to remove conditions and become a 10-year LPR.

Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support)

Legally enforceable contract by which a sponsor agrees to financially support the immigrant. Required in most family-based green card cases.

Form I-693 (Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record)

Completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. Required for most I-485 adjustment of status applicants to confirm medical admissibility.

Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization)

The application to become a U.S. citizen. Most LPRs become eligible after five years of permanent residence, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen.

Form N-565 (Application for Replacement Naturalization Document)

Used to request a replacement Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship when the original is lost, stolen, or contains errors.

Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship)

Filed by a person who acquired or derived U.S. citizenship through a parent, to obtain documentary proof of citizenship.

Form G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney)

The form an attorney or accredited representative files to officially appear on behalf of a client before USCIS, ICE, or EOIR.

Visa Categories

The classifications the Department of State and USCIS use to assign visa numbers. Family-based, employment-based, and humanitarian categories each have their own rules and waits.

EB-1 (Employment First Preference)

Reserved for persons of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives and managers. Often the fastest employment-based category.

EB-2 (Employment Second Preference)

Advanced-degree professionals and persons of exceptional ability. Includes the National Interest Waiver (NIW) self-petition for individuals whose work is in the U.S. national interest.

EB-3 (Employment Third Preference)

Skilled workers, professionals with bachelor's degrees, and certain other workers. Requires a U.S. employer, an approved PERM labor certification, and an approved I-140.

EB-4 (Employment Fourth Preference)

Special immigrants, including certain religious workers, Special Immigrant Juveniles, and select U.S. government employees abroad.

EB-5 (Immigrant Investor)

For foreign nationals investing $800,000 (in a Targeted Employment Area) or $1,050,000 elsewhere and creating at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs.

F1 (Family First Preference)

Unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of U.S. citizens. Numerically limited and subject to Visa Bulletin backlogs of several years.

F2A and F2B (Family Second Preference)

F2A covers spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents. F2B covers unmarried sons and daughters 21 or older of LPRs.

F3 (Family Third Preference)

Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (any age). One of the longest family-based waits, often 7 to 12 years or more.

F4 (Family Fourth Preference)

Siblings of U.S. citizens. The petitioner must be at least 21. The slowest family preference, frequently with waits of 13 to 20 years or more.

IR (Immediate Relative)

Spouses, unmarried minor children, and parents of U.S. citizens. Not numerically capped, so no Visa Bulletin wait once the I-130 is approved.

K-1 (Fiance(e) Visa)

Nonimmigrant visa allowing the foreign fiance(e) of a U.S. citizen to enter the U.S. The couple must marry within 90 days of entry.

K-3 (Spouse Visa)

Nonimmigrant visa for the spouse of a U.S. citizen with a pending I-130. Rarely used today because I-130 processing has shortened.

U Visa (Victims of Crime)

For victims of qualifying crimes who have suffered substantial harm and assisted law enforcement. Capped at 10,000 principal visas per year with a long waitlist.

T Visa (Victims of Trafficking)

For victims of severe forms of human trafficking who comply with reasonable law enforcement requests. Provides a path to lawful permanent residence after three years.

R-1 (Religious Workers)

Temporary visa for ministers and other religious workers employed by a bona fide nonprofit religious organization in the U.S.

H-1B (Specialty Occupation)

Temporary work visa for specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree. Subject to an annual cap and an electronic lottery registration.

L-1 (Intracompany Transferee)

For executives, managers (L-1A), or specialized-knowledge employees (L-1B) transferred from a qualifying foreign company to a U.S. parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate.

O-1 (Extraordinary Ability)

Temporary visa for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or motion picture and television industry.

E-1 and E-2 (Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor)

For nationals of countries with qualifying treaties with the U.S. who carry on substantial trade (E-1) or have invested a substantial amount of capital (E-2).

TN (NAFTA / USMCA Professional)

For Canadian and Mexican professionals in occupations listed in the USMCA. Renewable in three-year increments with no fixed maximum.

Federal Agencies

The U.S. agencies that handle different parts of the immigration system. Most cases touch more than one of them.

USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)

The agency that adjudicates most immigration benefit applications, including I-130s, I-485s, I-765s, N-400s, asylum, and most waivers. Part of the Department of Homeland Security.

EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review)

The Department of Justice agency that runs the immigration court system and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Hears removal cases.

ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

The DHS agency responsible for interior enforcement, detention, and removal. Its trial attorneys prosecute removal cases in immigration court.

CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

The DHS agency that inspects travelers and goods at ports of entry. CBP officers make admissibility decisions, issue Form I-94, and run land borders.

DHS (Department of Homeland Security)

The cabinet department that includes USCIS, ICE, and CBP. Filing fee checks for most immigration applications are made payable to DHS, written out in full.

NVC (National Visa Center)

The State Department office that processes approved immigrant petitions after USCIS approval, collects civil documents and the Affidavit of Support, and schedules consular interviews.

Legal Terms & Acronyms

Terms you will hear in attorney conversations, USCIS notices, and immigration court. Knowing them helps you read your own case correctly.

LPR (Lawful Permanent Resident)

A noncitizen authorized to live and work permanently in the United States, commonly called a "green card holder."

USC (U.S. Citizen)

A person who is a citizen of the United States, whether by birth, derivation, acquisition, or naturalization.

AOS (Adjustment of Status)

The process of becoming a lawful permanent resident from within the U.S. by filing Form I-485 with USCIS. The alternative is consular processing abroad.

RFE (Request for Evidence)

A written notice from USCIS asking for additional documentation before a decision is made. Most RFEs have an 87-day response deadline.

NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny)

A USCIS notice signaling that the agency intends to deny a case unless the applicant rebuts specific concerns. Usually a 30-day response window.

BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals)

The appellate body within EOIR that reviews decisions of immigration judges. BIA decisions can be appealed to the federal circuit courts.

INA (Immigration and Nationality Act)

The principal federal statute governing U.S. immigration, codified primarily in 8 U.S.C. Most immigration rules trace back to a specific INA section.

Removal Proceedings

The court process (formerly called "deportation") by which the government seeks to remove a noncitizen from the U.S. Begun by filing a Notice to Appear (NTA).

Master Calendar Hearing

The first court appearance in removal proceedings. The judge confirms pleadings, sets deadlines, and schedules the individual (merits) hearing.

Individual Hearing

The merits hearing in immigration court. Witnesses testify, evidence is presented, and the judge rules on relief such as asylum or cancellation of removal.

Asylum

Protection for people in the U.S. who have suffered persecution, or fear persecution, on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Withholding of Removal

A form of protection similar to asylum but with a higher proof standard (more likely than not). It blocks removal to the specific country of feared persecution.

CAT (Convention Against Torture)

International treaty protection against removal to a country where the applicant is more likely than not to be tortured. Available regardless of criminal history bars.

USCIS Processing Times (2026)

USCIS’s published estimate of how long each form takes to adjudicate at each service center. Reports the 80th percentile of cases completed in the prior six months, updated monthly.

Visa Bulletin

The monthly State Department publication showing which priority dates can move forward. Family preference and employment preference categories are governed by it.

Priority Date

The date USCIS receives a qualifying petition (such as Form I-130 or I-140). It holds the beneficiary's place in line in numerically limited categories.

Current vs. Retrogressed

A priority date is "current" when a visa number is available. It is "retrogressed" when demand exceeds supply and the cutoff date moves backward.