A to Z
The words it runs on
- Adjustment of status
- Becoming a permanent resident from inside the United States without leaving, on Form I-485.
- Advance parole
- Permission to travel while an application is pending without abandoning it.
- Affidavit of support
- Form I-864, a binding promise by a sponsor to support a family immigrant above the poverty line.
- Cap-exempt
- Employers (universities, non-profit research organisations) whose H-1B petitions are not counted against the annual cap.
- Consular processing
- Getting an immigrant visa at a US consulate abroad, then entering as a permanent resident.
- CPT
- Curricular Practical Training: work that is part of the curriculum, authorised by the school's designated official before graduation.
- Current
- A category and country with no wait in the Visa Bulletin: a visa number is available now.
- Derivative
- A spouse or unmarried child under 21 who gets status through the principal applicant.
- DSO
- Designated School Official: the person at a certified school who signs the I-20, updates SEVIS and recommends OPT and CPT.
- Duration of status (D/S)
- How F-1 and J-1 admissions are recorded on the I-94: no fixed end date, as long as the student or exchange visitor keeps status.
- EAD
- Employment Authorization Document, the work permit card, Form I-766.
- Form I-20
- The certificate of eligibility a SEVP-certified school issues to an admitted F-1 student; needed for the visa, for entry, and kept current for the whole stay.
- I-94
- The arrival record that shows your status and the date it expires; retrievable online from CBP.
- Inadmissibility
- Grounds that bar entry or a green card (certain crimes, prior violations, health, public charge), some of which can be waived.
- Labor certification (PERM)
- The Department of Labor's test that no qualified US worker is available, required for most EB-2 and EB-3 green cards.
- Naturalization
- Becoming a US citizen, on Form N-400, after the required years as a permanent resident.
- NOID
- Notice of Intent to Deny: USCIS says it plans to deny unless you rebut, within a short window.
- OPT and STEM OPT
- Optional Practical Training: up to 12 months of work in the field of study after an F-1 degree, with a further 24 months for STEM graduates at an E-Verify employer.
- Premium processing
- An extra fee for a decision within 15 or 45 business days on eligible petitions.
- Priority date
- The date your petition (or labor certification) was filed; your place in line when a category has a wait.
- Removal proceedings
- Immigration court proceedings that can end in an order of removal; defenses include asylum and cancellation of removal.
- RFE
- Request for Evidence: USCIS asking for more before deciding. Not a denial, but the response deadline is strict.
- SEVP and SEVIS
- The Student and Exchange Visitor Program, run by ICE, certifies the schools that may enroll F-1 and M-1 students, and SEVIS is its database: every student's record, status and Form I-20 lives there, and a school's designated official updates it.
- Unlawful presence
- Time in the US without status after age 18; more than 180 days or 1 year triggers 3- or 10-year bars on leaving.
- USCIS, DOS, CBP, ICE, EOIR
- The agencies: Citizenship and Immigration Services (petitions), State (visas abroad), Customs and Border Protection (entry), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (enforcement), Executive Office for Immigration Review (the courts).
- Visa Bulletin
- The State Department's monthly table showing which priority dates can proceed, by category and country of birth.