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Immigration law term
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| DHS | Department of homeland security. Parent of uscis, ice, and cbp |
| USCUS | U.S. Citizenship and immigration services. primarily adjudicates affirmative immirgation benefits and applications |
| ICE | U.s. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pricipal interior immigration- enforcement agency. |
| ERO | Enforcement and removal operations, the ICE component focused on criminal investigations enfrocement, detention, and removal |
| HSI | Homeland security investigations. the ICE componet focused on criminal investigations involving cross-border and immigration related offenses |
| CBP | U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Border- port enrty inspection and admision functions |
| DOS | U.S. department of State. oversees u.s. embassies and consulates and most visa inssuances abraod |
| DOJ | U.S. Department of justice. EOIR is housed with in DOJ |
| EOIR | Executive office for immigration review. DOJ agency that administers immigration courts and BIA |
| OCIJ | Office of the chief immigration judges EOIR component overseeing immigration courts and immigration judges |
| IJ | immigrations judge. Administrative adjudicator within EOIR |
| BIA/BOARD | Board of Immigration Appeals. EOIR appellate body reviewing many IJ and DHS descions |
| OPLA | ICE office of the principal Legal Advisor. DHS trial counsel in removal proceedings- procs |
| HHS/ORR | Department of Health and Human Services/ office of Refgee resettlment ORR has important responsibilites involveing unaccomapnied children |
| Anumber/ A# | alien registration number. unique identyfing number used in many immigration records and EIOR |
| Alien/Nomination | Alien remains the statory term used throughout the INA. Noncitizen is a common descriptive term in courts, scohalrship, and practice. |
| LPR | Lawful Permanent residents- green card holder |
| CPR | Conditional permenant resident. often based on qualifying marriage or certain investment classifications |
| Immigrant | A person admitted or seeking admission in an immigrant classification, genenrally for permanant residicne unless an INA exception applies |
| Nonimmigrant | A person admitted temporarily in a specifci classification- |
| visa | travel/entry document issued primarily by DOS. A visa is nto itself immigration status inside the US |
| Status | the immigration classification or legal position a person holds while in the US. Visa validity and status can idffer |
| Admission/admitted | Lawful entry into the US after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer. INA 101a13a |
| EWI | entry without inspection. traditional shorthand for entring without being admitted or paroled- current statute often in terms of withotu admission |
| Parole | permission under INA 212D5 to be physically present in the united states without being admitted. Parole is nto admission |
| Arriving alien | Regulatory classification wiht special consequences for procedure, detention, and IJ jurisdiction |
| Applicant for admission | A statutory category that includes a person arriving in the U.S. and importantly a person present in the U.S who has not been admitted |
| I-94 | arrival/depature record documenting admission or parole information for many travalers/nontravelers |
| Overstay | a nonimmigrant who remains beyond the period of authorized stay |
| unlawful presence | a statutroy concept used principally for the 3 year and 10yr inadmissibility bar. it is not identical to being out of status |
| NTA / Form I-862 | Notice to Appear. Charging document used to initiate removal proceedings when filed with the immigration court. |
| INA § 212 | Inadmissibility grounds. Often applies to applicants for admission and certain adjustment applicants. |
| INA § 237 | Deportability/removability grounds generally applicable to persons who were admitted. |
| MCH | Master Calendar Hearing. Preliminary/docket hearing for pleadings, representation, scheduling, relief identification, and case management |
| IH / Merits | Individual Hearing (merits hearing). Evidentiary hearing on applications, removability issues, and/or other contested matters. |
| Pleadings | Admissions/denials to factual allegations and concessions/denials to charges in the NTA, plus identification of relief and other procedural positions. |
| ROP / eROP | Record of Proceedings / electronic Record of Proceedings: the official case file maintained by EOIR. |
| ECAS | EOIR Courts & Appeals System. Electronic filing and case-access system used by registered practitioners and DHS. |
| ACIS | Automated Case Information System. Public-facing EOIR case-status system; official hearing notices control if information conflicts. |
| Respondent Access | EOIR portal for eligible self-represented respondents to view case information/eROP and file certain documents. |
| EOIR-28 | Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative Before the Immigration Court. |
| EOIR-27 | Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative Before the BIA. |
| G-28 | USCIS/DHS Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative; not a substitute for EOIR-28/27 in EOIR proceedings. |
| EOIR-33/IC | Change of Address/Contact Information Form for Immigration Court. |
| EOIR-33/BIA | Change of Address/Contact Information Form for the Board. |
| I-213 | Record of Deportable/Inadmissible Alien. DHS record commonly encountered as evidence in removal proceedings. |
| Motion to Continue | Request to move a hearing or deadline to a later date; requires good cause under applicable law and practice rules. |
| Motion to Terminate | Request to end removal proceedings on legal/procedural grounds. |
| Motion to Reopen | Request to reopen proceedings based on new facts/evidence or a recognized legal basis, subject to time/number rules and exceptions. |
| Motion to Reconsider | Request asking the adjudicator to reconsider based on alleged legal or factual error in the prior decision |
| Administrative Closure | Procedural management tool that removes a case from the active docket without terminating proceedings; current availability is governed by changing precedent and policy |
| Pretermission | Disposing of an application without a full evidentiary merits hearing because the application is legally insufficient or otherwise cannot succeed as a matter of law |
| AOS | Adjustment of Status. Process of becoming an LPR from within the United States when statutory and regulatory requirements are met. |
| Consular Processing | Immigrant-visa or nonimmigrant-visa processing through a U.S. embassy/consulate abroad. |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative. |
| I-485 | Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. |
| I-765 / EAD | Application for Employment Authorization / Employment Authorization Document. |
| I-589 | Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. |
| Asylum | Discretionary protection for a person meeting the refugee definition and statutory eligibility requirements. |
| Withholding / WOR | Withholding (restriction) of removal under INA § 241(b)(3); higher burden than asylum and country-specific protection. |
| CAT | Convention Against Torture protection (withholding or deferral under implementing regulations) |
| COR | Cancellation of Removal. EOIR relief available in specified categories. |
| EOIR-42A | Application for Cancellation of Removal for Certain Permanent Residents. |
| EOIR-42B | Application for Cancellation of Removal and Adjustment of Status for Certain Nonpermanent Residents. |
| SIJ / SIJS | Special Immigrant Juvenile classification/status process; generally requires qualifying state juvenile-court findings followed by USCIS adjudication. |
| I-360 | Petition used for several classifications, including SIJ and VAWA self-petitions. |
| VAWA | Violence Against Women Act immigration protections, including certain self-petitions and related relief; available regardless of applicant gender when statutory requirements are met. |
| U Visa | Nonimmigrant classification for qualifying crime victims who meet statutory requirements, including helpfulness to law enforcement. |
| T Visa | Nonimmigrant classification for certain victims of severe forms of trafficking who meet statutory requirements. |
| TPS | Temporary Protected Status. Temporary protection/work authorization framework for designated countries; designation and eligibility rules change frequently. |
| DACA | Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. A deferred-action policy, not lawful status; availability and scope remain litigation/policy sensitive. |
| Waiver | Statutory mechanism excusing specified grounds of inadmissibility/removability when requirements and discretion are satisfied. |
| I-601 / I-601A | Waiver applications. I-601 covers specified inadmissibility grounds; I-601A is a provisional unlawful-presence waiver for certain applicants before consular processing |
| PD / Priority Date | Date used to establish a beneficiary’s place in an immigrant-visa queue where numerical limits apply. |
| Visa Bulletin | DOS monthly publication showing immigrant visa availability by category and country/chargeability. |
| PSG | Particular Social Group, one of the protected grounds used in asylum/withholding analysis. Current cognizability standards are highly precedent-sensitive. |
| INA § 235(b) | Detention framework for applicants for admission. After 2025 precedent, this is central to determining whether an IJ has bond jurisdiction over persons not admitted. |
| INA § 236(a) | Discretionary detention/release framework for certain respondents. Where applicable, DHS may detain or release and an IJ may have authority to redetermine custody |
| INA § 236(c) | Mandatory detention provision for specified categories. If properly included, IJ bond authority is sharply restricted. |
| Bond Hearing | Separate custody proceeding in which an IJ may redetermine DHS custody only when the IJ has jurisdiction. |
| Custody Redetermination | Formal term for IJ review of custody/bond where authorized. |
| Joseph Hearing | Hearing to determine whether a respondent is properly included in a mandatory-detention category under INA § 236(c). |
| Flight Risk | Risk that a respondent will fail to appear for hearings or comply with future immigration orders. |
| Danger | Public-safety consideration in bond analysis; serious criminal conduct can independently defeat release. |
| Sponsor | Person offering residence/support and assurances relevant to flight-risk analysis. Sponsor credibility and a fixed address can matter significantly. |
| ATD | Alternatives to Detention, such as reporting or electronic monitoring administered by DHS/ICE. |
| Detainer / I-247 | ICE immigration detainer/request concerning transfer or continued custody by another lawenforcement agency. |
| Parole (DHS) | Discretionary DHS permission for temporary physical presence under INA § 212(d)(5); distinct from bond and distinct from admission. |
| Conditional Parole | Release mechanism referenced in INA § 236(a); legally distinct from INA § 212(d)(5) parole. |
| B-1 / B-2 | Visitor for business / visitor for pleasure. |
| F-1 | Academic student status. |
| M-1 | Vocational student status. |
| J-1 | Exchange visitor status. |
| H-1B | Specialty occupation nonimmigrant classification, subject to detailed statutory/regulatory requirements and often numerical limits. |
| O-1 | Nonimmigrant classification for persons of extraordinary ability or achievement in specified fields. |
| L-1 | Intracompany transferee classification. |
| R-1 | Religious worker nonimmigrant classification. |
| K-1 | Fiance(e) of a U.S. citizen nonimmigrant classification. |
| AAF | Annual Asylum Fee. EOIR currently lists a $102 annual fee for qualifying asylum applications pending one year or longer; fees and implementation rules should always be rechecked. |
| ARR | Alien Registration Requirement. DHS/USCIS renewed emphasis in 2025 on statutory registration duties under INA §§ 262-264. |
| G-325R | Biographic Information (Registration), the USCIS online form created for certain people who need to satisfy the alien-registration requirement. |
| CBP Home | CBP mobile application that replaced/repurposed functions associated with the former CBP One environment and now includes “Intent to Depart” functionality. |
| EOIR Policy Manual | EOIR’s consolidated practice/policy resource. Part II is the Immigration Court Practice Manual; Part III is the Board Practice Manual |
| Payment Portal | EOIR electronic system for payment of immigration-court/BIA fees. Current fees can change and should be checked immediately before filing. |
Created by:
Vanderhoof_