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.
|
| A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
|
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
The TPS sets up a legislative foundation for permitting a group of people
provisional refuge in the United States. The Attorney General may select
nationals of a foreign country to be entitled for TPS with a finding that
conditions in that country present a risk to personal safety because of
continuing armed wars or a natural catastrophe. TPS is allowed for periods of 6
to 18 months in the beginning and may be extended depending on the situation.
Removal procedures are generally suspended against foreigners while they are in
Temporary Protected Status.
Temporary Resident
See Nonimmigrant.
Temporary Worker
Nonimmigrant temporary worker classes of admission, who come to the United
States to work temporarily, are:
- H-1A - Temporary registered nurses (discontinued)
- H-1B - specialty occupations workers
admitted on the basis of professional education, skills, and/or
equivalent experience
- H-1C - registered nurses who work in
areas that have a shortage of health professionals under the
Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999
(discontinued)
- H-2A - temporary agricultural workers
coming to the United States to carry out agricultural services
or labor of a temporary or seasonal nature when approved workers
are unavailable in the United States
- H-2B - temporary non-agricultural workers coming to the United States to carry out temporary services or labor if unemployed persons able to perform the service or labor cannot be found in the United States
- H-3 - aliens coming temporarily to the United States as trainees, other than to receive graduate medical education or training
- O-1, O-2, O-3 - temporary workers with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; those entering exclusively to escort and help such workers in addition to their spouses and children
- P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4 - athletes and entertainers at an internationally recognized level of performance; artists and entertainers under a mutual exchange program; artists and entertainers under a program that is "culturally unique" in addition to their spouses and children
- Q-1, Q-2, Q-3 – members in international cultural exchange programs; members in the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program in addition to spouses and children of Irish Peace Process members
- R-1, R-2 - Religious temporary workers
and their spouses and children.
Transit without Visa (TWOV)
A transit alien admitted under agreements with a transportation
line, which assures instant and incessant passage to a foreign
destination without a nonimmigrant visa.
Treaty Country
A foreign state which is qualified as a Treaty of Friendship,
Commerce, or Navigation or its equivalent exists with the United
States of America.
Treaty Trader or Investor
A nonimmigrant foreigner coming to the United States, under the
provisions of a treaty of commerce and navigation between the
United States and the foreign state of such alien, to perform
extensive trading or to manage the business in which he/she has
invested a considerable sum of money in addition to the spouse
and unmarried minor children.
TSC
The acronym for two instances: Texas Service Center OR Terrorist
Screening Center.
|
| A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
|
|
Back to Immigration Articles