Immigration Terms and Definitions

Immigration Form I-765
Application for Employment Authorization

Legitimated
Most countries have legal procedures for natural fathers of children born out of wedlock to acknowledge their children. A legitimated child from any country has two legal parents and cannot qualify as an orphan unless, only one of the parents is living, or both of the parents have abandoned the child

Legalization Dependents
A maximum of 55,000 visas were issued to spouses and children of aliens legalized under the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 in each of fiscal years 1992-94.

Alien
Any person not a citizen or national of the United States.

Immigration Form I-90
Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card

Port-of-entry parole
Authorized at the port upon alien’s arrival; applies to a wide variety of situations and is used at the discretion of the supervisory immigration inspector, usually to allow short periods of entry.

Country of (Last) Residence
The country in which an alien habitually resided prior to entering the United States.

Files Control Office
An USCIS field office--either a district (including USCIS overseas offices) or a suboffice of that district--where alien case files are maintained and controlled.

Conditional Resident
Any alien granted permanent resident status on a conditional basis (e.g., a spouse of a U.S. citizen; an immigrant investor), who is required to petition for the removal of the set conditions before the second anniversary of the approval of his or her conditional status.

Priority Date
In the USCIS Immigrant visa petition application process, the priority date is the date the petition was filed. If the alien relative has a priority date on or before the date listed in the visa bulletin, then he or she is currently eligible for a visa.