Citizenship bestowed at birth on children who are born overseas to U.S. citizen parent(s).

Admission in immigration terms is related to the lawful entry into the United States after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer. Note that admission does excludes a person who is paroled or permitted to land temporarily.

The term used on the Alien Registration number. An “A” number is issued to all aliens applying for permanent residence.

A process that permits a number of foreigners who are already in the United States to apply for immigrant status. Foreigners who enter the United States as nonimmigrants, refugees, or parolees might have their status altered to that of legal permanent resident if they are qualified to obtain an immigrant visa and one is available right away. If the status is changed successfully, the alien is considered an immigrant as of the date of the adjustment regardless if the alien may have been in the United States for a long period of time.

An agricultural worker is a foreign worker who is coming to the United States to carry out agricultural work or services, as defined by the Secretary of Labor, for a temporary period of time as a nonimmigrant.

Abbreviation for American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States of America; foreigner.

The individual applying for visa, change of status or citizenship.

USCIS applications for Naturalization or to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status necessitate the USCIS to carry out a FBI fingerprint background check on the applicant. Most applicants that require a background check have to be present for one at a specific Application Support Center (ASC) or Designated Law Enforcement Agency (DLEA) for fingerprinting purposes.

A foreigner in the United States or at a port of entry who is established to be incapable or reluctant to go back to his or her country of nationality, or to ask for the protection from that country because of persecution or a well-substantiated fear of persecution. The reasons for 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 any nationality. Asylees are entitled to adjust to the legal permanent resident category after one year of continuous presence in the United States. This category is limited to 10,000 adjustments per fiscal year.

BCIS stands for the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, also called USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services).

The person or persons who have had an application filed on their behalf.

The spouse or children of a principal

Border crosser is a foreign resident who reenters the United States after being not present for less than six months in Canada or Mexico. It also refers to a nonresident alien who reenters the United States via the Canadian border for stays that are less than six months or across the Mexican border for stays that are less than 72 hours.

A foreigner who enters the United States on a temporary basis to take part in commercial deals that do not involve lucrative work in the United States such as someone who is involved in international commerce on behalf of a foreign company.