A type of visa in which family members travel with the principal applicant, (in immigrant visa cases, within six months of issuance of an immigrant visa to the principal applicant).
- Browse Related Terms: Accompanying, Age Out, Applicant (Visa), Applying for a Visa, derivative, Derivative Status, Following-to-Join, Principal Applicant
A process of qualifying, endorsing, and "licensing" entities that perform certification of businesses, products, processes, or services.
- Browse Related Terms: Accreditation, benchmarking, certification, Chamber of commerce, Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), DMO (Destination Marketing Organization), Ecotourism, Ecotourism certification, Life Cycle assessment, Mayan Long Count Calendar, Pareidolia, Product Life Cycle, Sustainable tourism, Sustainable tourism certifications, System
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1) to change from a nonimmigrant visa status or other status; or, 2) to adjust the status of a permanent resident (green card holder). Learn more on USCIS's website, as it is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) process.
- Browse Related Terms: Adjust Status, Adjustment of Status, Conditional Residence (CR) Visa, Green card, I-551 (Green Card), Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), Lawful Permanent Resident Alien (LPRA), Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act, Permanent Resident (correctly called Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), Proof of Status, Re-entry Permit, Returning Residents, Work Authorization
An alien in the United States with a non-immigrant visa may adjust status to become a Legal Permanent Resident by filing a Form I-864.
- Browse Related Terms: Adjust Status, Adjustment of Status, Conditional Residence (CR) Visa, Green card, I-551 (Green Card), Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), Lawful Permanent Resident Alien (LPRA), Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act, Permanent Resident (correctly called Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), Proof of Status, Re-entry Permit, Returning Residents, Work Authorization
Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply.
- Browse Related Terms: Administrative processing, Advisory Opinion, Attorney of record, Documentarily Qualified, Homeless, Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), National Visa Center (NVC), Notarization, Panel Physician, Physical Presence, Post, Qualifying date, Rank Order Number, Statutory declaration, Termination of a Case
Entry into the United States is authorized by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. When you come from abroad and first arrive in the United States, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of-entry and request permission to enter the United States. Admission, or entering the United States, by non-U.S. citizens must be authorized by a CBP officer at the port-of-entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay and the immigration classification you are given is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on your admission stamp or paper Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record. For more information, go to DHS, CBP. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission from DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- Browse Related Terms: Admission, Advance Parole, Arrival/Departure Card, Cancelled Without Prejudice, Change Status, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Duration of Status, Extension of Stay, In Status, Local Educational Agency (LEA), Lose Status, Maintain Status, Out of Status, Overstay, Port-of-Entry, Revocation of a Visa, Visa, Visa Expiration Date, Visa Validity
An unmarried child under age 21, who was adopted while under the age of sixteen, and who has been in legal custody and lived with the adopting parent(s) for at least two years. These rules do not apply to orphans adopted by U.S. Citizens. The adoption decree must give the child all the rights of a natural born child. For more adoption information visit DOS's adoption.state.gov.
- Browse Related Terms: Adopted Child, Child, Dependent children, Full and Final Adoption, Immediate Relative, Immediate Relative (IR2), Legitimation, Orphan, Spouse, Stepchild, Surviving Parent
Permission to return to the United States after travel abroad. Advance parole must be granted by DHS prior to leaving the United States. The following categories of people may need advance parole: people on a K-1 visa, asylum applicants, parolees, people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and some people trying to adjust status, while in the United States. If these people do not apply for advance parole before they leave the United States, they may be unable to return. Go to DHS, USCIS to learn more.
- Browse Related Terms: Admission, Advance Parole, Arrival/Departure Card, Cancelled Without Prejudice, Change Status, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Duration of Status, Extension of Stay, In Status, Local Educational Agency (LEA), Lose Status, Maintain Status, Out of Status, Overstay, Port-of-Entry, Revocation of a Visa, Visa, Visa Expiration Date, Visa Validity
An opinion regarding a point of law from the Office of Visa Services in the Department of State, Washington, D.C. This opinion would be issued in response to an inquiry from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate regarding the interpretation of immigration law, or in response to an inquiry from an applicant or his/her legal representative regarding the legal correctness of the applicant’s visa refusal.
- Browse Related Terms: Administrative processing, Advisory Opinion, Attorney of record, Documentarily Qualified, Homeless, Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), National Visa Center (NVC), Notarization, Panel Physician, Physical Presence, Post, Qualifying date, Rank Order Number, Statutory declaration, Termination of a Case
A J-1 visa holder's DS 2019 or IAP 66 form will have a statement in the bottom left hand corner of the form, as follows: “Bearer (is or is not) subject to Section 212(e). Two year rule (does or does not) apply (name of country)”. This is a preliminary endorsement of the Consular Officer or Immigration Officer regarding Section 212(e) of the INA. When a J-1 visa holder (or his/her attorney) inquires whether the Foreign Residence Requirement under INA 212(e) applies to a particular J-1 visa holder, then a request for an Advisory Opinion is mailed to the Waiver Review Division at the Department of State. Learn more - See the “Eligibility and Application Procedures” and “FAQ” sections in the Waiver - Foreign Residence Requirement webpages.
- Browse Related Terms: Advisory Opinion (“J” Visa) Waiver of Foreign Residence Requirement, INA 212(e), Alien, Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM), Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Ineligible/Ineligibility, native, Naturalization, Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV), Police Certificate, Public Charge, Revalidation or Renewal of a Visa, Third Country National, Waiver of Ineligibility
This form is absolutely essential to a complete application, and is filled out by the petitioner and, in some cases, joint sponsors. It is used to show that an intending immigrant has enough pre-existing financial support in the United States, so that he or she will not become a public charge. The sponsor(s) must agree to full responsibility for support of the intending immigrant. One AoS must be completed for each member of an applicant's family. It is used only in family-based and some employment-based cases.
- Browse Related Terms: Affidavit of Support (AOS), Affidavit of Support (AoS; I-864), agent, AOS, Appointment Package, Diversity Visa, I-134, Joint Sponsor, Petitioner, Principal applicant (PA), Section 213A, Sponsor, Sponsored Immigrant
A document promising that the person who completes it will support an applicant financially in the United States. Family and certain employment immigration cases require the I-864 Affidavit of Support, which is legally binding. All other cases use the I-134 Affidavit of Support. Go to our I-864 information to learn more.
- Browse Related Terms: Affidavit of Support (AOS), Affidavit of Support (AoS; I-864), agent, AOS, Appointment Package, Diversity Visa, I-134, Joint Sponsor, Petitioner, Principal applicant (PA), Section 213A, Sponsor, Sponsored Immigrant
Associated or controlled by the same owner or authority.
- Browse Related Terms: Affiliated, Allotment, Asylee, Fiancé(e), Immigrant Visa, Polygamy, Refugee, Special Agricultural Worker
A child must be unmarried and under the age of 21, as defined in U.S. immigration law. A child beneficiary of an immigrant petition who will apply for an immigrant visa is considered to have aged out when the beneficiary no longer qualifies for an immigrant visa based on having reached age 21. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) changed the law, to allow many beneficiaries to still qualify as children for immigrant visa purposes even after reaching age 21. Learn more about National Visa Center processing for cases where child beneficiaries are close to aging out.
- Browse Related Terms: Accompanying, Age Out, Applicant (Visa), Applying for a Visa, derivative, Derivative Status, Following-to-Join, Principal Applicant
In immigrant visa processing, the applicant selects a person who receives all correspondence regarding the case and pays the immigrant visa application processing fee. The agent can be the applicant, the petitioner or another person selected by the applicant and listed on Form DS-261, Online Choice of Address and Agent, or Form DS-3032, Choice of Address and Agent (for Diversity Visa applicants only).
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A foreign national who is not a U.S. citizen.
- Browse Related Terms: Advisory Opinion (“J” Visa) Waiver of Foreign Residence Requirement, INA 212(e), Alien, Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM), Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Ineligible/Ineligibility, native, Naturalization, Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV), Police Certificate, Public Charge, Revalidation or Renewal of a Visa, Third Country National, Waiver of Ineligibility
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The allocation of an immigrant number to a consular office or to USCIS. This number may be used for visa issuance or adjustment of status as described in the Operation of the Immigrant Numerical Control System.
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Affidavit of Support, Form I-864. A document promising that the person who completes it will support an applicant financially in the U.S. Family and certain employment immigration cases require the I-864 Affidavit of Support, which is legally binding.All other cases use the I-134 Affidavit of Support. Go to our I-864 information to learn more.
- Browse Related Terms: Affidavit of Support (AOS), Affidavit of Support (AoS; I-864), agent, AOS, Appointment Package, Diversity Visa, I-134, Joint Sponsor, Petitioner, Principal applicant (PA), Section 213A, Sponsor, Sponsored Immigrant
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A Greek word translated approximately to mean “disclosure of things previously hidden,” it is a term most often applied to the end of the world, the dawn of a new world or the revelation before mankind’s final judgment.
- Browse Related Terms: Apocalypse, Disembodied Voice, electronic voice phenomena (EVP), Fulfillment piece, Mass or mainstream tourism, ORB, Paranormal, Paranormal Pop Culture, Residual Haunting, Shadow Person, unidentified flying object (UFO)
A foreign citizen who is applying for a nonimmigrant or immigrant U.S. visa. The visa applicant may also be referred as a beneficiary for petition based visas.
- Browse Related Terms: Accompanying, Age Out, Applicant (Visa), Applying for a Visa, derivative, Derivative Status, Following-to-Join, Principal Applicant