Immigration words explained in plain language

This page explains words. It is not legal advice. One word can change a whole case, so ask a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative how a word applies to you. This page covers general, enforcement and humanitarian immigration words. Criminal law words and college words have their own pages, linked above.

Start with three big ideas

Admitted, paroled, or neither. Most of immigration law turns on how you came in.

• Admitted means an officer inspected you at a border or airport and let you in, for example with a visa.
• Paroled means the government let you in or let you stay for a time without a formal admission. See Parole below.
• If you crossed without being inspected, you were neither admitted nor paroled. That affects which paths are open to you, especially getting a green card without leaving the U.S.

Unlawful presence. Time you spend in the U.S. after your permitted stay ends, or time here after entering without being admitted or paroled. It matters because it can lead to the 3 year and 10 year bars if you leave. Some time does not count, such as time before age 18 and time with DACA.

Status. A lawful immigration category, like green card holder, student or asylee. Some protections, like DACA, protect you from deportation without giving you a status. Knowing which one you have tells you what you can do next.

A to Z

A number (Alien Registration Number). The number the government uses to track your immigration file. You need it to check an immigration court case online.

Accredited representative. A person who is not a lawyer but is authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice to give immigration legal help through a recognized nonprofit. Only lawyers and accredited representatives may give you immigration legal advice. See How to find a lawyer you can trust.

Adjustment of status. Getting a green card without leaving the U.S. In general, you must have been admitted or paroled, be eligible for an immigrant visa, and have a visa immediately available. Some people who entered without inspection can still adjust through 245(i).

Advance parole. Permission from USCIS, given before you travel, to come back into the U.S. after a trip abroad. Leaving without it can end some pending applications, like a green card application. USCIS says that since August 13, 2026, leaving even with advance parole counts as a departure for the 3 and 10 year bars. Talk to a lawyer before any trip.

Affidavit of support. A promise from a sponsor to support an immigrant financially. In family cases the sponsor must be 18 or older, live in the U.S., and show income of at least 125% of the federal poverty line. A joint sponsor can help. It is an enforceable contract.

Aging out. When a child turns 21 before getting a green card and loses "child" status. A law called the Child Status Protection Act can protect some children by lowering their counted age, or freezing it, depending on the case. Some families must act within one year after a visa becomes available to keep that protection.

Asylum. Protection for a person in the U.S. who was persecuted, or fears persecution, because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. You generally must apply within one year of your last arrival, with some exceptions. Asylees can apply for a green card after one year. See How to apply for asylum.

Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The appeals body that reviews immigration judges' decisions. An appeal is due within 30 days of the judge's decision.

Bond. Money paid to get a person released from immigration detention while their case goes on. The law sets the minimum at $1,500. See Getting someone out on bond.

Cancellation of removal. A way an immigration judge can stop a deportation and, in some cases, give a green card. People without a green card generally need 10 years here, good moral character, and a U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse, parent or child who would face exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. Only 4,000 can be granted each year in that category. See Cancellation of removal.

Conditional resident. A person whose green card through marriage came before the marriage was two years old. The card lasts two years. The couple must file together to remove the conditions in the 90 days before it ends. See Remove conditions on a two year green card.

Consular processing. Getting your green card at a U.S. consulate in another country, through an immigrant visa interview there.

Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection. Protection from being sent to a country where it is more likely than not you would be tortured. There is no one year deadline. It protects only from that country.

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). A program for people who came to the U.S. before age 16 and have lived here since June 15, 2007, among other rules. It is a form of deferred action. See the DACA hub.

Deferred action. A decision by the government to put off trying to remove you for a limited time. It does not give you a right to stay or to return after travel. While you have DACA, you are not counted as "unlawfully present."

Detainer. A request from immigration authorities to a jail. It can ask the jail to hold a person, to tell immigration when the person will be released, or to transfer them. California limits how local jails respond. See ICE holds in California jails.

Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or work permit. A card from USCIS that shows you may work. Some people, such as refugees, asylees and U visa holders, may work because of their status itself.

Expedited removal. Fast deportation by an immigration officer, without a hearing before a judge. Since a June 23, 2026 appeals court decision (Make the Road New York v. Mullin), it can be used anywhere in the U.S. against people who were not admitted or paroled and cannot show they have been here 2 years. The court case is still going on: the challengers asked the full court to rehear it on July 27, 2026, and no ruling has been reported. See Papers that show how long you have lived here. If you say you fear going back, you are supposed to get an interview with an asylum officer. See Can I be deported without seeing a judge?

Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The part of the U.S. Department of Justice that runs the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals.

In absentia order. A deportation order made when a person misses a court hearing. It can also block some forms of relief for 10 years. See Do I have to go to immigration court?

Lawful permanent resident (LPR) or green card holder. A person allowed to live and work in the U.S. permanently. Most can apply for citizenship after 5 years.

Motion to reopen. A request asking an immigration judge or the Board to open a closed case again, usually because of new facts. Usually only one is allowed, filed within 90 days of the final order, with exceptions. See Can I reopen my deportation case?

Naturalization. Becoming a U.S. citizen after holding a green card. It generally takes 5 years as a green card holder and good moral character, among other rules.

Notice to Appear (NTA). The paper that starts a deportation case in immigration court (Form I-862). It lists the charges and your duty to keep your address updated. See What a Notice to Appear means.

Parole. Permission to enter or stay in the U.S. for a time, given case by case for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Parole ends when it expires or when you leave, and the government can end it with written notice.

Petitioner and beneficiary. In a family case, the petitioner is the U.S. citizen or green card holder who files for a relative, usually on Form I-130. The beneficiary is the relative who will get the green card.

Permanent bar. A bar for a person who was unlawfully present for more than one year in total, or was deported, and then came back or tried to come back without being admitted. In general the person must stay outside the U.S. for 10 years before asking permission to return. There are limited exceptions, including for some survivors under VAWA.

Priority date. Your place in line for a family or work green card. It is usually the date your petition was properly filed. When the Visa Bulletin reaches your date, a visa may be available. Some lines take more than 20 years.

Provisional waiver (Form I-601A). A request to forgive unlawful presence before you leave the U.S. for your consular interview, to shorten time apart from family. You must show extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse or parent. It forgives only unlawful presence.

Public charge. A rule that lets the government deny some green cards if it decides a person is likely to depend on government support. A new federal rule took effect September 18, 2026. Many immigrants already here are not affected. USCIS says it does not count benefits your children or other relatives get as yours, though an officer may look at your household's low income. See Will using benefits like CalFresh hurt me?

Reinstatement of removal. If a person who was deported comes back without permission, the old order can be put back in force. It cannot be reopened, and most relief is blocked. Talk to a lawyer right away about any fear of return.

Removal (deportation) proceedings. The immigration court case where a judge decides whether a person can be deported and whether they qualify for relief.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). A path to a green card for young people under 21 who have state juvenile court findings, such as that they cannot reunite with a parent because of abuse, neglect or abandonment. See Could my child qualify for SIJS?

Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Protection and a work permit for people from countries the government names because of armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. You must register in each period. It ends when the government ends the country's designation. See Which countries have TPS now?

T visa. Protection for survivors of severe human trafficking who are in the U.S. because of the trafficking. It can lead to a green card later.

3 year and 10 year bars. If you build up more than 180 days but less than 1 year of unlawful presence and then leave, you cannot come back for 3 years. If you build up 1 year or more and leave, the bar is 10 years. A waiver exists for some spouses, sons and daughters of U.S. citizens or green card holders. See The 3 and 10 year bars.

245(i). An old rule that still helps some families. If a family or work petition, or a labor certification, was filed for you (or for your parent or spouse, when you were their child or spouse) on or before April 30, 2001, you may be able to get a green card without leaving the U.S., even if you entered without inspection. If it was filed after January 14, 1998, the person must also have been in the U.S. on December 21, 2000. It costs an extra $1,000, with some exceptions.

U visa. Protection for victims of certain crimes in the U.S., like domestic violence or sexual assault, who suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and helped, or are willing to help, law enforcement. Only 10,000 are given each year, so there is a long wait. It can lead to a green card after 3 years. See Could I qualify for a U visa?

USCIS, ICE and CBP. Three parts of the Department of Homeland Security. USCIS oversees lawful immigration and decides applications, like green cards and DACA. ICE enforces immigration and customs laws, including arrests and detention. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) works at the border and at ports of entry.

VAWA self petition. A way for abused spouses and children of U.S. citizens or green card holders, and parents abused by a U.S. citizen son or daughter who is 21 or older, to apply on their own, without the abuser knowing (USCIS). See Green card if a spouse or parent abuses me.

Voluntary departure. Permission to leave the U.S. by a set date on your own, without a deportation order. If you do not leave in time, you face a fine and lose some future options for 10 years.

Withholding of removal. Protection from being sent to a country where it is more likely than not your life or freedom would be threatened because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or social group. There is no one year deadline. It protects only from that country.

Questions people ask

Does "parole" here mean the same as criminal parole? No. Immigration parole is permission to enter or stay. Criminal parole is supervision after prison. Same word, different meaning.

Is DACA a status? DACA is deferred action. It protects you from removal for a limited time. The federal DACA rule does not say it gives you a right to stay, and you are not counted as unlawfully present while you have it.

Which words change most often? Rules about expedited removal, public charge, advance parole travel, fees and appeal deadlines changed in 2025 and 2026. Check the date on anything you read, including this page.

Who can help?

These are free or low cost legal programs. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440. clsepa.org
• Bay Area Legal Aid: 1-800-551-5554. baylegal.org
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.
• More free help: Free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area

Every word you learn makes your next conversation with a lawyer stronger. Keep going.

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