Foreigners to the United States to live, work, study or visit often some immigrants terms and abbreviations are confused, extension or conversion and some do not even know the immigration document annotation and delayed the identity. The more common, and immigration related special terms and acronyms are briefly introduced.

1, Passport. The passport, is a kind of official identity used in inter state that a government awarded for its citizens. Passports are divided into different kinds. Mainly divided into public and private passport passport. Official passports in foreign passport holders in the foreign rights maximum. The passport must have a certain period of validity. Passport expired, the failure will not be foreign recognition. A passport valid for less than six months, the receiving state may refuse the bearer entry. The issuance of passports, extension or replacement should contact their own government or overseas representative offices.

2, Visa. The visa, is a country to citizens of other countries visa to enter the country a licence or concession. There are many varieties of visa, but different countries of the same type of visa name or code of different. As a tourist visa in American called B-1/B-2 visa, and China embassy to foreigners to Chinese tourist visa is called a L visa. Because the visa is a license or privileges, it can always be issuing authority to cancel or withdraw. As to the America visa, a foreign America under the State Council issued by the embassy or consulate. Embassy issued a visa, does not amount to sign the witness can enter America. USA immigration may reject any that he should not enter American foreigners. The visa is valid, the effective period of varying lengths. Some only allow one entry, there can be multiple entry.

3, I-94. The immigration card, is a piece of the plane filled, entry by customs officer stamped signature time of small cards, usually directly in the cardholder's passport. This card is very important for foreigners in American. If the visa is America government permission to the United States, extending the I-94 card is the license holder, decided to stay in the USA identity and time. I-94 record entering place, type of visa, entry time and allows the USA stay time, is the time of the situation. According to the regulations, any person holding a non immigrant visa to enter the American, no matter how valid documents or other documents, legal residence time in USA are the provisions of its I-94 entry card on time. If you are ready to transform into other identity or apply for a residence in American extension, application must be submitted to the immigration in the I-94 before maturity, otherwise should leave American before maturity. If the application is approved, the approval of the following will with the new I-94 card, marked with new expiration time.

4, residence status. According to the immigration and Nationality Act, each one in USA people have a kind of identity, the identity as he (she) was born, the parents, the employment situation or get visa category and etc.. Residence identity decided in America rights and status. Residence status including: USA citizens, permanent residents, non immigrant, asylees, such as illegal immigration.

The difference between the 5, visa and identity. Visa (Visa) into the USA files, documents for tangible visible. Visa will only be issued by overseas consular American. In addition, the visa is held some activities in USA witness qualifications, that is to say, to obtain a visa and to obtain the basic qualification of enter USA (not necessarily guarantee into the American) and engage in certain activities in the United States and identity. While the "identity" (Status) is engaged in some activity in the America rights. Foreigners in USA activity right or state that is governed by America immigration. Therefore, get some sort of "identity" just got engaged in some activity in the right, but not equal to get free access to American rights.

6, permanent residents. That green card holders, which is known as the immigration, refers to the right of permanent residence American, can USA permanent residence, learning, life and work, and also retain their original nationality.

7, non migrants and illegal immigrants. Non immigrant, refers to the United States temporarily to people living in a particular purpose. They went to the United States to include travel, study, reading, reading, and attending training plan etc.. The illegal immigrants, illegal aliens, refers to those who do not have any proof of identity of foreigners (mainly stowaways), or they do not hold any inbound document into the America illegal, or hold false documents to enter the USA; there are a lot of stayers (overdue don't return), or is in violation of its original residency and engage in other activities, such as illegal workers.

8, visa extension. Usually refers to "the same visa status extension" or "the same status of residence extension". Short term residence extension is usually very limited. If you want to stay longer in American, must consider to change the identity, namely: the short-term identity to a long-term identity; a long-term identity changed to long-term identity; by long-term identity to permanent status.

9, COS. Is ChangOfStatus abbreviation, namely conversion identity, refers to the change from a non immigrant status to another nonimmigrant status. Application for change of status applications must be submitted to the immigration in the currently hold identity does not expire before. If the immigration bureau is not approved the conversion of the application, the applicant must leave America within the prescribed period of time, or they will be regarded as illegal or overstay. Once it became illegal or overstay, it is very difficult to change in USA identity. The conversion must submit an application in the original identity before maturity, if the original identity has expired, will lose the identity in the territory of America chance conversion.

10, AOS. Is AdjustmentOfStatus abbreviation, namely adjustment of status, is refers to the USA territory from non immigrant status adjustment for immigration status. Adjustment of status applications is the common I-485. Can submit an application to adjust status to look at immigration quota schedule have to. As long as submitted an application to adjust status, you can apply for a work permit and U. s.re-entry permits, also can legally stay in the American without other identity or visa to maintain identity. Adjustment of status as foreigners to obtain permanent residency status (green card) America last procedure. Once the USCIS approved an application to adjust status, the applicant has obtained permanent residency status. Should pay attention to distinguish the adjustment and transformation identity of these two terms.

11, work permit (LaborCertification). Also known as labour or labour card paper, formal name is "the foreigner that work" (AlienEmploymentCertification). Labor certification is divided into a temporary work permit and permanent work permit, must be approved by the advertisement for a program and by the Department of labor (TheU.S.DepartmengOfLabor, orDOL) for examination and approval; temporary work permit (TemporaryLaborCertification) used for the application of H-2B non immigrant visa, work permit (permanent PermanentLaborCertification) used for the immigrant visa application.

12, labour report. "Labor shortage that is known as" and "application form" the labor situation both. Labor shortage (health certificate, Health certificateCareFacilityAttestation, namely ETA-9029) used for H-1A registered nurse non immigrant work visa application form (Labor, labor situationConditionApplication, namely ETA-9035) used for H-1B professionals non immigrant visa.

13, work permit and work permit (card, EAD). Labor certification is not a work permit formal. A foreigner to obtain a work permit is not equal to the to the green card holders or card holders as free as any employer. Accurately speaking, labor certification is Department of labor for immigration a proof, that if the applicant is not permanent and in American so away America workers jobs. Work permit is also called the work card, issued by the Bureau of immigration, the card holder can work in USA free.

14, PERM. That permit rapid application procedures, refers to the relevant regulations and simplify the application procedure American Labor Department of labor announced in December 27, 2004 the adjustment, the so-called PERM regulations, the regulations on March 27, 2005 implementation. Using the program to apply for a work permit to greatly shorten the time.

15, national interest waiver (NIW). Refers to the contributions made by the applicant in accordance with America national interests, so that the applicant be exempted without the need to apply for a work permit, and can directly apply for immigration occupation with his own name. USA labor department according to the labor market demand to develop a class and B class occupation. At present, a registered nurse occupation include: professional and physical therapists, in science and art (not including the Performing Arts) has outstanding talent in the field of human. National interest waiver to occupation immigration second priority (EB-2).

16, the immigration quota and the priority date. The quota is refers to the immigration control quantity stipulated in USA immigration law America annually into the. In addition to American close relatives citizens (spouse, minor children and adult parents), any immigration category are subject to quota restrictions. To want to immigrate to USA people, quota is a very important consideration. Any application for immigration, the category of the quota did not, even if the application is approved, can not be immigrants or immediately become permanent residents, the waiting time depends on the quota cutting period long. Preferred date (PriorityDate), also known as scheduled, refers to the formal establishment of the immigration case date. The quota is not change (at least not often change) prescribed number, but the priority date or schedule it for size and delay or advance.

17, overstay. Refers to the legal immigrants did not leave before the expiration of America in I-94. The provisions American immigration reform act of 1996: in any America overdue residence for more than 180 days and voluntary departure, may not re-enter within 3 years; overdue residence for more than 1 years, may not re-enter within 10 years.

18, deported. Refers to the necessary judicial procedure will be forced back to home country illegal immigrants.

19, USA overseas Chinese or Chinese american. American overseas refers to a American green card Chinese, nationality or China nationality; Chinese American refers to give up China international, into the American international become citizens Chinese America.

20, INS. 那个U.S.ImmigrationAndNaturalizationThe abbreviation of the Service, refers to the original belonging to the Ministry of justice American immigration and Naturalization Service America, referred to as immigration, "9.11" after the dismembered split, the main part in the "9.11" after the newly established American Department of homeland security, and part function remained in the Ministry of justice.

21, USCIS. That is BCIS, is BureauOfCitizenshipAndImmigrationServices is the abbreviation of ", refers to the newly formed 9.11" after the American belonging to the Department of Homeland Security Bureau of citizenship and immigration services, now known as the Department of immigration.

22, the State Council (the AmericaU.S.DepartmentOfState). Equivalent to China's Ministry of foreign affairs, foreign affairs and overseas embassies and consulates. American state through its worldwide in embassies and consulates in enforcing immigration laws. On immigration, the maximum function or that audit and issue immigrant and non immigrant visa.

23, "U. S. card" and "re entry permit". Any adjustment of status, such as the urgent need to leave American, must be approved, can leave to return to the United states. The application program in the law known as the "pre parole" (AdvanceParole), refers to foreigners in the application for adjustment of status without a visa or the identity of the state, submit an application in advance to return American. "Pre parole" can only be used for a license to apply before the adjustment of immigration status. This is the "re entry permit" (ReentryPermit) is completely different. "Re entry permit" is for the permanent resident takes a long time (two years) left America return America use, although it was also known as "back to American card".

24, naturalization. Generally refers to a green card American foreigners according to the relevant provisions America immigration and nationality law, through certain procedures sworn into American nationality become American citizens. USA naturalized citizen enjoy the same rights and America born citizen, refers to the former cannot run for president USA. Naturalization policy USA have open, obtained the right of permanent residence for five years and accumulated in the foreigner USA live two and a half years above, a departure less than half a year can apply for naturalization as citizens America.