Copy of `US Visas - US Customs terms`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

US Visas - US Customs terms Category: Government and organisations > Visas and Green Cards Date & country: 22/01/2014, USA Words: 144

DV
See Diversity Visa.

Educational and Cultural Affairs
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations. ECA administers a variety of exchange programs for non-U.S. secondary, undergraduate, graduate students and professionals, along with other duties. Visit the ECA website.

ESTA
Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors (nationals from 37 participating countries) to travel to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). A valid ESTA approval is required for all VWP travel to the United States. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, though it is recommended travelers apply when they begin preparing travel plans. To learn whether you may be able to travel on the VWP, and therefore whether you need an ESTA authorization, see our Visa Waiver Program webpage. For more information about ESTA and/or to apply, see the DHS, Custom and Border Protection

Domicile
Place where a person has his or her principal residence. The person must intend to keep that residence for the foreseeable future. The sponsor of an immigrant must have domicile in the United States before the visa can be issued. This generally means that the sponsor must be living in the United States. In certain circumstances, however, one can be considered to have a domicile while living temporarily living overseas.

DOL
U.S. Department of Labor. A cabinet level unit/ministry of the U.S. government that has responsibility for labor issues. It has the responsibility for deciding whether certain foreign workers can work in the United States. Hiring foreign workers for employment in the United States normally requires approval from several government agencies. First, employers must seek labor certification through the DOL. Once the application is certified (approved), the employer must petition USCIS for approval of the petition before applying for a visa.

Documentarily Qualified
The applicant has submitted all documents specified by the consular officer or the National Visa Center (NVC) as sufficient to meet the formal visa application requirements, and necessary processing procedures of the consular office or NVC have been completed.

Derivative Status
Getting a status (visa) through another applicant, as provided under immigration law for certain visa categories. For example, the spouse and children of an exchange visitor (J visa holder), would be granted derivative status as a J-2 visa holder. Derivative status is only possible if the principal applicant is issued a visa.

Diversity Visa Program
The Department of State has an annual lottery for immigration to the United States. Up to 55,000 immigrants can enter the United States each year from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. See our information on the Diversity Visa Program.

Cut-off Date
The date that determines whether a preference immigrant visa applicant can be scheduled for an immigrant visa interview in any given month. When

Denomination/Sect
A religious group or community.

Department of Labor (DOL)
A cabinet level unit/ministry of the U.S. government that has responsibility for labor issues. It has responsibility for deciding whether certain foreign workers can work in the U.S. Hiring foreign workers for employment in the United States normally requires approval from several government agencies. First, employers must seek labor certification through the DOL. Once the application is certified (approved), the employer must petition USCIS for approval of the petition before applying for a visa.

Current/non-current
There are numerical limits on the number of immigrant visas that can be granted to aliens from any one foreign country. The limit is based on place of birth, not citizenship. Because of the numerical limits, this means there is a waiting time before the immigrant visa can be granted. The terms current/non-current refer to the priority date of a petition in family or employment preference based immigrant visa cases in relationship to the immigrant cut-off date. If your priority date is before than the cut-off date according to the monthly Visa Bulletin, your case is current. This means your immigrant visa case can now be processed. However, if your priority date is later/comes after the cut-off date, you will need to wait longer, until your priority date is reached (becomes current). To find out whether a preference case is current, see the Visa Bulletin or telephone (202) 485-7699.

Common-law marriage
An agreement between a man and woman to enter into marriage without a civil or religious ceremony. It may not be recognized as a marriage for immigration purposes.

Conditional Residence (CR) Visa
If you have been married for less than two years when your husband or wife (spouse) gets lawful permanent resident status (gets a green card), then your spouse gets residence on a conditional basis. After two years, you and your spouse must apply together to DHS to remove the condition to the residence. Learn about how to apply for a CR visa on our Immigrant Visa for a Spouse webpage.

Change Status
Changing from one nonimmigrant visa status to another nonimmigrant visa status while a person is in the United Staets is permitted for some nonimmigrant visa holders, if approved by USCIS. The visa holder may file a request with USCIS before his or her authorized stay expires, which generally is the date on the visa holder

Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations contains useful information on the laws regulating U.S. visa policy.

Cohabit
To live together without a legal marriage ceremony.

Certificate of Naturalization
A document issued by DHS as proof that the person has become a U.S. citizen (naturalized) after immigration to the United States.

Case Number
The National Visa Center (NVC) gives each immigrant petition a case number. This number has three letters followed by ten digits (numbers). The three letters are an abbreviation for the overseas embassy or consulate that will process the immigrant visa case (for example, GUZ for Guangzhou, CDJ for Ciudad Juarez).

Certificate of Citizenship
A document issued by DHS as proof that the person is a U.S. citizen by birth (when born abroad) or derivation (not from naturalization). The Child Citizenship Act of 2001 gives U.S. citizenship automatically to certain foreign-born children of U.S. citizens. These children can apply for certificates of citizenship.

Cancelled Without Prejudice
A stamp a U.S. Embassy or Consulate puts on a visa when there is a mistake in the visa or the visa is a duplicate visa (two of the same kind). It does not affect the validity of other visas in the passport. It does not mean that the passport holder will not get another visa.

Attorney of Record
An attorney or representative appointed by the petitioner, applicant or beneficiary to receive correspondence and documentation relating to the visa petition or application. An attorney of record may be appointed by the petitioner, applicant or beneficiary by submitting to the National Visa Center or the U.S. Embassy or Consulate processing the visa application

Beneficiary
An applicant for a visa as named in a petition filed with DHS, USCIS.

Biometrics
Biologically unique information used to identify individuals. This information can be used to verify identity or check against other entries in the database. The best known biometric is the fingerprint, but others include facial recognition and iris scans. Go to our biometrics page to learn more.

Asylee
A person who cannot return to his home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution. An application for asylum is made in the United States to DHS. Go to the USCIS website to learn more.

Approval Notice
Notice of Action, Form I-797, issued by DHS, USCIS that says that USCIS has approved a petition, or request for extension of stay or change of status.

Arrival/Departure Card
Also known as Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record. Effective May 25, 2013, a new electronic I-94 process was fully implemented at air and sea ports-of-entry. Under the new process, a CBP official at the port-of-entry provides each admitted nonimmigrant traveler (all non-U.S. citizens) with an admission stamp on their passport. CBP will no longer issue a paper form I-94, with some exceptions. Learn more on the CBP website. On the admission stamp or paper Form I-94, the CBP official records either a date or

Applicant (Visa)
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.

Appointment Package
The letter and documents that tell an applicant of the date of the immigrant visa interview. It includes forms that the applicant must complete before the interview and instructions for how to get everything ready for the interview.

AOS
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.

Alien
A foreign national who is not a U.S. citizen.

Allotment
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.

Agent
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).

Age Out
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.

Affiliated
Associated or controlled by the same owner or authority.

Affidavit of Support
(AOS)

Advisory Opinion (
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

Advance Parole
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

Advisory Opinion
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

Adopted Child
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.

Adjust Status
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.

Administrative processing
Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant

Admission
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).

Accompanying
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).