Glossary of terms

See the USCIS website and our policy updates page for more definitions and information.

Legal status & protections

• Asylee: Person granted asylum under section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
• Asylum: A form of protection available to individuals physically present in the U.S. or at a port of entry who fear persecution in their home country due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group
• Asylum-seeker: Person requesting asylum under section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
• Birthright citizenship: The automatic acquisition of citizenship at birth, guaranteed by the 14th Amendment for those born within U.S. territory and subject to its jurisdiction, or through parents
• Citizenship : A legal status and relation between an individual and a state that entails specific legal rights and duties.
• Green card: Document also known as a Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551, and issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as evidence of their Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the United States.
• Green card holder: A person in possession of a Permanent Resident Card as evidence of their Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the United States.
• Humanitarian parole: A temporary authorization for individuals outside of the U.S. facing urgent crises to enter the United States legally.
• Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR): Status accorded to an individual who has been lawfully accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant in accordance with immigration laws, such status not having changed.
• Refugee: Status granted to an individual, prior to departure for and arrival in the United States, who has been determined by competent authority to be fleeing persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution in their own country because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.
• Special Immigrant Visa (SIV): Visas that are available to persons who worked with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority as a translator, interpreter, or in some other professional roles in Iraq or Afghanistan. Applicants undergo a thorough vetting process and often wait years to be granted approval to enter the United States. SIV holders have permanent residence in the United States.
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS): A status that is granted to individuals from countries facing crises like war or natural disasters, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. It does not provide permanent status and must be renewed. TPS applies to those already in the U.S. when their country is designated unsafe, and recipients must seek another legal pathway for long-term stay.

The path to naturalization

• Adjustment of status: The process of how a foreign national already present in the United States becomes a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) by filing an application for admission to LPR status and receiving application approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• Biometrics: The measurement and analysis of unique physical or behavioral characteristics (such as fingerprint or voice patterns) used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as a means of verifying personal identity.
• Certificate of citizenship: Identity document proving U.S. citizenship that may be issued to persons who acquired U.S. citizenship.
• Civic duty: Mandatory obligations that citizens must perform to support the government and maintain social order, such as paying taxes, obeying laws, and serving on juries.
• Civic responsibility: The voluntary actions, obligations, and moral duties a citizen undertakes to contribute to the common good, strengthen democracy, and support their community.
• Continuous residence: The length of time a person has maintained a permanent home in the United States after being admitted as a lawful permanent resident.
• Employment authorization document (EAD): Often called a "Work Permit," this document allows individuals (like asylum seekers or TPS holders) to work legally while their long-term cases are pending.
• Form N-400: The official USCIS document used by lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders) to apply for U.S. citizenship.
• Good moral character (GMC): Character which measures up to the standards of average citizens of the community in which the individual resides. The purpose of demonstrating GMC for naturalization is to ensure that the person is suitable to become a U.S. citizen, reflecting the values and standards expected of a U.S. citizen.
• Naturalization: It is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a lawful permanent resident after meeting the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
• Naturalization interview: Part of the naturalization process where a USCIS officer will ask questions about the N-400 application and background as well as administer the naturalization test.
• Naturalization test: The naturalization test is part of the naturalization interview. The test has two components, an English proficiency test (reading, writing, and speaking) and a civics test covering U.S. history and government.
• Oath of allegiance: A formal promise made by an individual to remain loyal to a specific government or sovereign.
• Physical presence: A requirement for naturalization applicants to be physically present in the U.S. for a specified period before applying.

Government agencies & laws

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP): A component within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is responsible for border security and ports of entry. -** U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)**: A federal department responsible for national security, including but not limited to border security and immigration control, among other responsibilities. DHS also oversees United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): A component within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the U.S. interior.
• Immigration and Nationality Act: This is the primary federal law governing immigration in the U.S. It was enacted in 1952 and has been amended many times. It serves as the foundation for the U.S. immigration system.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): The UN agency mandated to protect and support refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and others forcibly displaced people around the world.
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): A component within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for overseeing the country’s lawful immigration system including citizenship and naturalization. USCIS is one of the federal entities that helps implement USRAP and also manages many other aspects of the U.S. immigration system.

Resettlement & sponsorship programs

• Private sponsorship: A model of refugee and humanitarian parole resettlement in which individuals, groups, or organizations take direct responsibility for supporting a newcomer during their initial period in the United States. Private sponsorship provides legal pathways for U.S.-based individuals to sponsor people in need, ensuring a safe and orderly process to arrive in the U.S. Both sponsors and the newcomers undergo security, background, and financial checks conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and other national security agencies.
• Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV): A previously authorized private sponsorship program that allowed Americans to privately sponsor Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans in need of safety through humanitarian parole. As of Jan. 20, 2025, DHS ended the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program.
• The Welcome Corps: A program launched in 2023 by the U.S. State Department that allowed Americans and permanent residents to directly sponsor refugees for resettlement. Individuals and communities played an active role in welcoming and supporting refugees rebuilding their lives in the United States. On Feb. 26, 2025, the Welcome Corps program was terminated.
• Uniting for Ukraine (U4U): A previously authorized private sponsorship program launched in April 2023 to allow Americans to privately sponsor Ukrainians in need of safety through humanitarian parole. As of Jan. 28, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has paused the U4U program.
• U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP): A federal program that identifies, screens, and resettles refugees from around the world to the United States.