Glossary of Immigration Terms
It is important to familiarize yourself with the following immigration terms and abbreviations. These are common immigration terms used at USCIS offices, United States Embassies and Consulates. You will also find these terms in immigration forms and other legal documents, for this reason it is
vital to understand the meaning of these terms.
Our Glossary of Immigration Terms is organized in alphabetical order and divided into sections due to it's extensive size. Use the menu below to locate the term you are looking for.
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Cancellation of Removal
It’s a legal procedure undertaken in front of an immigration judge in order to
adjust the status of a foreigner from deportable to a legal permanent resident.
Certificate of Citizenship
It is a legal document that is issued to derivative citizens and foreigners who
obtained U.S. citizenship in order to prove identity and U.S. citizenship.
Certificate of Naturalization
An official document which is issued by the Department of Homeland Security. The
certificate is the proof that an individual has become a U.S. citizen
(naturalized) after immigration to the United States.
Change of Status
The application process of changing status from one immigration status to
another immigration status.
Child
The term generally refers to unmarried persons who are under age 21. There are
many types of children:
- Born within a marriage
- Stepchildren, but only if the child was under 18
years of age when the marriage that created the stepchild relationship took
place
- A legitimated child if the child was legitimated
while in the legal custody of the legitimating parent
- An adopted child under age 16 who has lived in the
lawful custody of the adopting parents for a minimum of 2 years since
adoption
- An orphan under age 16 years who has been adopted
overseas by a U.S. citizen or who is coming to the United States for
adoption by a U.S. citizen
CIS
The abbreviation for "Citizenship and Immigration Services". See BCIS or
USCIS.
Citizenship
Normally citizenship describes the country that a person is born in.
However, a person can change citizenship in a process called naturalization.
Civil Surgeons
Doctors trained and certified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Service. These are the doctors you should go to if USCIS asks you for
immigration examinations.
Conditional Resident
Conditional residents are those foreigners who have conditional permanent
resident status such as the spouse of an American citizen. They are usually
required to formally request the elimination of the set conditions before
the second anniversary of the approval of his or her conditional status.
Consul
A diplomat appointed by the United States government to protect its
commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country . The consul
is also responsible for issuing visas to non-U.S. citizens who wish to
travel to the United States.
Consular Processing
This is the application process an alien goes through to apply for permanent
residency at a U.S. Consulate in his or her home country. The applicant must
have an approved I-140 in addition to an immigrant number.
Consulate
Official United States government office located in foreign country.
Consulates deal with foreign trade and visa issues. Consulates are normally
located in major cities.
Continuity of Residence
When an alien is seeking U.S. residency, an absence of more than one year
will automatically lead to a break of the continuity of the alien’s
residence. The consequences of breaking the continuity is that the alien
must begin the process all over again. While an applicant can get permission
to leave the U.S. during the residency period, it is generally not
recommended to do so.
Conviction
The process of a formal judgment of guilt entered by a court of competent
jurisdiction.
Country of
- Birth: The country a person is born
- Citizenship: It’s either the country where
a person is born who have not given up or lost his/ her citizenship or
the country of a person who is naturalized.
- Former Allegiance: It’s the former country
of a person who became a citizen of the United States through
naturalization or derivative citizenship.
- (Last) Residence: The last country where a
foreigner lived before coming into the United States.
- Nationality: The country of a person’s
citizenship
CPT
CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training. CPT is a description
for off-campus work permission granted to foreigners going to school or
university in the U.S. where the work is a part of an internship.
Crewman
An alien who serves in a capacity obligatory for typical operations and
service on board of a vessel or airplane.
CSC
Abbreviation for California Service Center
Cuban/Haitian Entrant: Cubans who came into the United States
unlawfully or were paroled into the United States between April 15,
1980, and October 10, 1980, and Haitians who came into the United States
unlawfully and were paroled into the country before January 1, 1981.
Cubans and Haitians who have lived in the United States since before
January 1, 1982, and who were recognized by U.S. immigration authorities
before that date may change to permanent residents.
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