It is important to familiarize yourself with the following immigration terms and abbreviations. These are common immigration terms used at USCIS offices, United States Embassies, and United States Consulates. You will also find these terms in immigration forms and other legal documents.

Our Glossary of Immigration Terms is organized in alphabetical order and divided into sections due to its extensive size. Use the menu below to locate the term you are looking for.

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Cancellation of Removal
A legal procedure undertaken in front of an immigration judge in order to adjust the status of a foreigner from deportable to that of a legal permanent resident.

Certificate of Citizenship
A legal document that is issued to derivative citizens and foreigners who obtained U.S. citizenship in order to prove identity and U.S. citizenship.

Certificate of Naturalization
An official document which is issued by the Department of Homeland Security. This certificate serves as proof that an individual has become a U.S. citizen (naturalized) after immigration to the United States.

Change of Status
The application process of changing status from one immigration status to another immigration status.

Child
Related to immigration, this term generally refers to any unmarried persons who are under age 21. There are many types of children:

• Born within a marriage
• Stepchildren, but only if the child was under 18 years of age when the marriage that created the stepchild relationship took place
• A legitimated child if the child was legitimated while in the legal custody of the legitimating parent
• An adopted child under age 16 who has lived in the lawful custody of the adopting parents for a minimum of 2 years since adoption
• An orphan under age 16 years who has been adopted overseas by a U.S. citizen or who is coming to the United States for adoption by a U.S. citizen

CIS
The abbreviation for "Citizenship and Immigration Services". See BCIS or USCIS.

Citizenship
Normally citizenship describes the country that a person is born in. However, a person can change citizenship in a process called naturalization.

Civil Surgeons
Doctors trained and certified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. These are the doctors you should go to if USCIS asks you for immigration examinations.

Conditional Resident
Conditional residents are those foreigners who have conditional permanent resident status such as the spouse of an American citizen. They are usually required to formally request the elimination of the set of conditions before the second anniversary of the approval of his or her conditional status.

Consul
A diplomat appointed by the United States government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country . The consul is also responsible for issuing visas to non-U.S. citizens who wish to travel to the United States.

Consular Processing
This is the application process an alien goes through to apply for permanent residency at a U.S. Consulate in his or her home country. The applicant must have an approved I-140 in addition to an immigrant number.

Consulate
Official United States government office located in foreign country. Consulates deal with foreign trade and visa issues. Consulates are normally located in major cities.

Continuity of Residence
When an alien is seeking U.S. residency, an absence of more than one year will automatically lead to a break of the continuity of the alien’s residence. The consequences of breaking the continuity is that the alien must begin the process all over again. While an applicant can get permission to leave the U.S. during the residency period, it is generally not recommended to do so.

Conviction
The process of a formal judgment of guilt entered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Country of

• Birth: The country a person is born
• Citizenship: The country where a person is born,  or the country of a person who is naturalized.
• Former Allegiance: The former country of citizenship of a person who became a citizen of the United States through naturalization or derivative citizenship.
• (Last) Residence: The last country where a foreigner lived before coming to the United States.
• Nationality: The country of a person’s citizenship

CPT
CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training. CPT is a description for off-campus work permission granted to foreigners going to school or university in the U.S. where the work is a part of an internship.

Crewman
An alien who serves in a capacity obligatory for typical operations and service on board of a vessel or airplane.

CSC
Abbreviation for California Service Center

Cuban/Haitian Entrant: Cubans who came into the United States unlawfully or were paroled into the United States between April 15, 1980, and October 10, 1980; and Haitians who came into the United States unlawfully and were paroled into the country before January 1, 1981. Cubans and Haitians who have lived in the United States since before January 1, 1982, and who were recognized by U.S. immigration authorities before that date may change status to permanent resident.

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► Click on the letters above for more U.S. Immigration Terms.