U.S. Immigration Glossary for Journalists

• 'Catch-and-release'

Rhetorical shorthand for the practice of releasing certain migrants from custody while their cases proceed, often without acknowledging the legal obligations and reporting requirements that may apply.​

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• A-Number (Alien registration number)

Unique identifier assigned by DHS to many noncitizens, typically an eight- or nine-digit number preceded by 'A.'

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• Adjustment of status

Process by which a person already in the U.S. applies for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country, if they qualify.

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• Admission

Legal term for formal entry into the U.S. after inspection and authorization by immigration officers at a port of entry.

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• Advance parole

Travel document allowing certain noncitizens already in the U.S. to leave and return without abandoning an application for another immigration benefit (such as adjustment of status).

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• Alien

Formal legal term in federal statute for a person who is not a U.S. citizen or national; widely considered dehumanizing in everyday language, and many newsrooms avoid it except in direct quotations or when referencing specific legal text.

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• Asylee

A person who has been granted asylum in the U.S., which can lead to permanent residence and eventually to citizenship.

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• Asylum seeker

A person who requests protection (asylum) after arriving in or at the border of the U.S., using similar legal criteria to refugees, but a different application path and location.

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• B-2 visitor visa

Common non-immigrant visa for tourism, visiting friends or relatives, and specific short-term purposes.

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• Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)

Administrative body within EOIR that reviews decisions of immigration judges and some DHS determinations.

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• Bond (immigration)

Money paid to secure a detained noncitizen's release while proceedings continue; set by ICE or an immigration judge.

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• Cancellation of removal

Immigration court relief that can allow certain noncitizens to become permanent residents if they meet strict requirements (such as long-term presence and 'exceptional and extremely unusual hardship' to qualifying relatives).

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• Chain migration

Political term used to criticize family-based immigration; the underlying legal concept is family-sponsored immigration governed by numerical limits and preference categories.

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• Conditional permanent resident

Person granted permanent residence on a conditional basis (often through a marriage less than two years old) who must file a petition to remove conditions within a set timeframe.

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• Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection

Relief that prevents deportation to a country where the person is more likely than not to be tortured, under international and U.S. implementing law.

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• DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

Program (created by executive action) granting certain people who came to the U.S. as children temporary protection from deportation and work authorization under the broader category of deferred action.

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• Deferred action

Case-by-case decision to delay deportation for a noncitizen, which can include access to work authorization but does not itself create lawful status.

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• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Cabinet department that houses most immigration enforcement and services agencies, including USCIS, ICE, and CBP.

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• Deportable

Noncitizen who has already been admitted to the U.S. but falls within grounds that make them subject to removal (for example certain crimes or immigration violations).

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• Detainer (immigration hold)

Request from federal immigration authorities to a local or state law-enforcement agency asking them to keep a person in custody for transfer, not a standalone judicial warrant.

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• Diversity visa (DV) lottery

Program providing a limited number of immigrant visas each year to individuals from countries with relatively low rates of immigration to the U.S., selected by lottery.

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• Dual national/dual citizen

Person recognized as a citizen or national of two countries simultaneously; U.S. law tolerates but does not formally encourage dual citizenship.

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• Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

Photo ID card issued by USCIS proving that a noncitizen is authorized to work in the U.S. for a specific period.

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• Entry without inspection (EWI)

Crossing into the U.S. at a place or time not authorized by immigration officials, without going through inspection.

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• Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)

Justice Department office that oversees immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

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• Expedited removal

Fast-track process allowing certain arriving or recently entered noncitizens to be removed without a full immigration court hearing, with limited review.

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• Family unit/family group

DHS term for migrants—typically a parent or guardian traveling with one or more children—encountered together at the border.

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• Foreign national

Common policy and diplomatic term for a person who is a citizen of a country other than the United States; sometimes used instead of 'alien' in agency communications.

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• Good moral character (GMC)

Legal standard used in immigration law (for example in naturalization or cancellation of removal) that looks at a person's conduct over a specific period.

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• H-1B visa

Nonimmigrant visa for certain professional workers in specialty occupations, usually requiring at least a bachelor's degree.

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• I-94 arrival/departure record

DHS record showing a noncitizen's date of entry, visa class, and authorized period of stay; often accessed electronically.​

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• Immigration detention

Civil confinement of noncitizens while their immigration cases or removal proceedings are pending, distinct from criminal incarceration but often in similar facilities or under similar conditions.

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• Immigration judge

DOJ official (not an Article III federal judge) who presides over removal proceedings and certain applications for relief in EOIR courts.

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• Inadmissible

Legal label for a person who is barred from being admitted to the U.S. or receiving certain immigration benefits because of specific grounds such as criminal history, prior immigration violations, or health-related issues.

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• Invasion

Politicized term sometimes used to describe migration flows; experts note it has a specific meaning in international law related to armed conflict and is inaccurate for migration.

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• Lawful permanent resident (LPR)

Noncitizen authorized to live and work in the U.S. permanently, commonly called a 'green card holder.'

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• Metering

Practice of limiting the number of asylum seekers processed at ports of entry per day, forcing others to wait—often in Mexico—before they can approach.

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• Noncitizen

Neutral umbrella term for anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, including lawful permanent residents, visa holders, and people without lawful status.

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• Nonimmigrant

Person admitted temporarily for a specific purpose (tourism, study, work) under a nonimmigrant visa category (such as B-2 visitor or F-1 student).

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• Notice to Appear (NTA)

Charging document that starts immigration court proceedings, listing the government's allegations and the grounds for removability.

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• Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)

Office within the Department of Health and Human Services that, among other tasks, cares for unaccompanied migrant children referred from DHS custody.

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• Overstay

Noncitizen who entered the U.S. with a valid visa but remained beyond the authorized period or violated the terms of admission.

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• Parole (immigration)

Permission to enter or remain in the U.S. temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, without formal 'admission' and without itself conferring permanent status.

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• Prosecutorial discretion

Authority of immigration agencies to decide how and whether to pursue enforcement in individual cases, including decisions to pause or close a case.

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• Public charge

Ground of inadmissibility connected to whether a person is likely to depend primarily on certain government cash assistance or long-term institutional care; the precise policy approach has changed over time and remains politically contentious.

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• Receipt notice (Form I-797)

Notice of action from USCIS confirming receipt of an application or petition and often listing a case number; can also communicate approvals or other decisions.

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• Refugee

Person outside their country of nationality who cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, and who is processed through the U.S. refugee resettlement system abroad.

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• Removal (formerly 'deportation')

Formal process by which the government orders a noncitizen to leave the U.S., usually after proceedings in immigration court; 'deportation' is still used colloquially but 'removal' is the current statutory term.

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• Removal proceedings

Administrative hearings in immigration court to determine whether a person can remain in the U.S. or will be ordered removed.

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• Safe third country/transit ban

Policies that restrict asylum eligibility for those who transited through other countries without seeking protection there first, or that require seeking protection in designated 'safe' countries.

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• Special immigrant

Category covering several distinct groups (such as certain religious workers, employees of the U.S. government abroad, or SIJS recipients) eligible for specific immigrant visas.

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• Remarkable Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

Pathway for certain noncitizen children in the U.S. who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and for whom a state court has issued specific findings; can lead to permanent residence.

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• T visa

Nonimmigrant status for survivors of severe human trafficking who meet cooperation and other criteria; may lead to permanent residence.

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• Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Time-limited protection from deportation and work authorization for nationals of certain countries facing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions designated by the U.S. government.

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• Three- and ten-year bars

Periods of inadmissibility triggered when a person accrues more than 180 days or more than one year of unlawful presence in the U.S. and then departs, usually requiring them to remain outside or seek a waiver.

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• Title 42

Public health authority used during the COVID-19 pandemic to expel migrants at the border quickly, nominally on disease-control grounds, without the usual asylum processing.

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• U visa

Nonimmigrant status for certain crime victims who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement; can lead to a green card after a period in status.

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• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

DHS agency that adjudicates most immigration applications and petitions, including green cards, naturalization, many humanitarian protections, and work authorization.

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• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

DHS agency responsible for border security and inspections at ports of entry, including Border Patrol and the Office of Field Operations.

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• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

DHS agency primarily responsible for interior immigration enforcement, detention, and deportation operations.

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• Unaccompanied child (UC) / unaccompanied alien child (UAC)

Person under 18 with no lawful immigration status and no parent or legal guardian in the U.S. available to provide care; UAC is the statutory term but 'unaccompanied child' is often preferred in journalism.

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• Unauthorized immigrant

Policy term similar to 'undocumented,' often used in government and research contexts focusing on legal status rather than documents carried.

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• Undocumented immigrant

Person in the U.S. without current lawful immigration status—because of entry without inspection, overstaying a visa, or violating visa terms; many journalist style guides recommend this instead of 'illegal immigrant.'

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• VAWA self-petitioner

Survivor of qualifying abuse by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or adult child who can file for immigration relief independently under the Violence Against Women Act.

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• Visa

Travel document (usually a sticker in a passport) issued by the U.S. Department of State that allows a person to seek admission at a port of entry; it does not guarantee entry.

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• Visa bulletin

Monthly State Department publication showing which immigrant visa categories are 'current' or backlogged, reflecting numerical caps and country limits.​

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• Voluntary departure

Permission granted for a person to leave the U.S. at their own expense in lieu of a removal order, which can reduce future legal consequences.

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• Waiver of inadmissibility

Legal forgiveness that allows a person who is otherwise barred (for example by unlawful presence or certain misrepresentations) to receive a visa or immigration benefit in specific circumstances.

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• Withholding of removal

Protection that bars the government from deporting someone to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened on protected grounds, but does not provide a full path to permanent residency.

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