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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Re-Entry Permit
A declaration of an individual’s intention to maintain U.S. permanent
residence during prolonged absence from the United States. Its official name is
"Form I-131, Application for Travel Document." - Note that the
alien must be physically present in the United States to file an application for
a re-entry permit.
Refugee
A refugee is anybody who is incapable or reluctant to go back to his/her country
of nationality while they are in another country because he/she will be
persecuted or afraid of being persecuted. The reasons for persecution or fear of
persecution have to be the foreigner’s race, religion, nationality, membership
in a unique social group, or political views. The country of nationality is
considered to be the country in which the foreigner most recently lived for
those without nationality. Refugees are entitled to adjust to the legal
permanent resident category after one year of continuous presence in the United
States.
Refugee Approvals
The number of refugees that are permitted to be admitted into the United States
during a fiscal year.
Refugee Arrivals
The number of refugees that actually entered the United States during a fiscal
year.
Refugee Authorized Admissions
The ceiling number of refugees allowable to come into the United States during a
fiscal year which is decided by the President of the United States after
consulting with Congress.
Refugee-Parolee
Refugee- parolees are those individuals who eligible for provisional admittance
to the United States between February 1970 and April 1980, but could not be
accepted because of insufficient numbers of seventh preference visas. As a
consequence, these individuals entered the United States as parolees.
Regional Offices
There are three USCIS Regional Offices that supervise the work of USCIS
Districts and Border Patrol Sectors. They are located in Burlington, VT, for the
Eastern Region, Dallas, TX, for the Central Region, and Laguna Nigel, CA, for
the Western Region.
Registry Date
Aliens who have continuously resided in the United States since January 1, 1972,
are of good moral character, and are not inadmissible, are eligible to adjust to
legal permanent resident status under the registry provision. Before the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 amended the date, aliens had to have
been in the country continuously since June 30, 1948 to qualify.
Regulation
A rule which is established under the provisions of INA 104(a). The rule is
further duly published in the Federal Register.
Removal
The process of removing foreigners from the United States which justified
because they are found to be either inadmissible or deportable.
Request for Evidence (RFE)
A letter that the USCIS uses to request additional information on a pending
case.
Required Departure
See Voluntary Departure.
Resettlement
The process of relocating refugees permanently to a place outside their country
of origin and permit them to become legal residents of that place. Refugee
resettlement is done through private charitable agencies that work with the
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement to help
refugees relocate.
Resident Alien
Any person who is not a citizen of the United States and who lives in the U.S.
under lawfully recognized and legally recorded permanent residence as an
immigrant. It is also called Permanent Resident Alien, Resident Alien Permit
Holder, and Green Card Holder.
Returning Resident
Any legal Permanent Resident who has been outside the United States and is
returning to the U.S. It is also called special immigrant. The returning
resident must submit an application to be readmitted to the U.S if he/she was
outside of the United States for more than 180 days. He /she is generally
required to have a re-entry documentation from USCIS or an immigrant visa from
the Department of State if he/she was outside of the United States for more than
one year and is coming back to his or her permanent home in the United States.
Revalidation of a Visa
Another term for renewal of a visa.
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