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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Safe Haven
Impermanent protection granted to refugees or asylees who have run away from
their countries of origin to request help, safety or respite from persecution or
other hardships. The protection is usually granted until they can go back to
their countries safe and sound or, if needed, until they can get permanent
relief from the conditions they are running away from.
SAW
Abbreviation for Special Agricultural Worker.
Service Centers
There are four service offices in the United States that are responsible for
filing, data entry, and arbitration of some applications for immigration
services and benefits. Service Centers are not staffed to receive walk-in
applications or questions, so all applications have to be mailed.
SEVIS
SEVIS stands for “The Student Exchange Visitor Information System”. This
particular system is used by the federal government to monitor student visas in
the United States.
Special Agricultural Workers (SAW)
Foreigners who worked in perishable agricultural commodities for a specified
period of time and were allowed to enter the United States for short-term and
then became permanent residents under a provision of the Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986.
Special Immigrants
Some classes of immigrants who were excepted from numerical restrictions before
fiscal year 1992 and subject to control under the employment-based fourth
preference beginning in 1992 such as persons who lost citizenship by marriage,
persons who lost citizenship by serving in foreign armed forces and so forth.
Special Naturalization Provisions
Such special provisions permit special classes of persons to become U.S.
citizens despite the fact that they do not meet all the common requirements for
naturalization:
- Wives or husbands of U.S. citizens are allowed to file for naturalization
after three years of legal permanent residence instead of the general five years
period
- Surviving spouses of a U.S. citizen who worked in the armed forces are
allowed to file for naturalization in any district instead of where he/she
resides
- Children of U.S. citizen parents can become citizens without meeting certain
requirements or taking the oath if they are too young to comprehend the meaning
- Other categories of persons who may qualify for special consideration such
as previous U.S. citizens, servicemen, seamen, and employees of organizations
supporting U.S. interests overseas.
Sponsor
To sponsor a foreigner means to bring to the United States or petition for that
foreigner in the immigration sense. A "sponsor" is also a person who completes
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support under Section 213A of the Act.
Sponsored Immigrant
An immigrant on whose behalf a sponsor has executed an affidavit of support. The
affidavit of support includes any spouse or child who will accompany or
follow-to-join the beneficiary of an immigrant visa petition filed by a sponsor.
Stateless
A person who is not a national of any country.
Stowaway
A foreigner who comes secretly to the United States by hiding in an airplane or
ship without being officially authorized to enter. Such a person will be denied
admission and will be returned to the point of embarkation by the transporter.
Student
A nonimmigrant foreigner who comes to the United States temporarily to study in
an approved program in either an academic such as college, university, seminary,
conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or
language training program; a vocational or other recognized nonacademic
organization.
Sub-Offices
Offices established in some Districts so as to provide many services and
enforcement functions and to increase convenience to customers.
Subject to the Numerical Limit
The classes of legal immigrants subject to numerical limitations under the
provisions of the flexible numerical limit of 675,000 set by the Immigration Act
of 1990. The largest classes are the family-sponsored preferences,
employment-based preferences, and diversity immigrants.
Suspension of Deportation
A remedy in deportation proceedings which must be initiated before removal
proceedings began under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 [IIRAIRA] on April 1, 1997. It involves certain
individuals who have been in the U.S. for 7 or 10 years and who met other
criteria as set forth in former INA Section 244(a).
SWA
Abbreviation for State Workforce Agency.
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