Is a procedure that allows an eligible applicant to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States without having to go abroad and apply for an immigrant visa.

Is an immigration document issued by the United States. It allows certain people to be paroled into the United States. It is not a re-entry permit; it is only issued to people without permanent residency. Advance Parole is permission for certain aliens, who do not have a valid immigrant visa, to re-enter the United States after traveling abroad. Such aliens include those who have applied to adjust their status to that of permanent resident or to change non-immigrant status. Advance parole must be approved before the applicant leaves the United States, or any residency application will in general be denied.

A form of protection available to people who meet the definition of refugee, are already in the United States, are seeking admission at a port of entry.
In order to qualify for asylum, the persecution that you experienced or your fear of return to you your home country must be on account of one or more of the following grounds:

Political Opinion
Membership in a particular social group
Race
Religion
Nationality

There is a 1-year deadline (generally) from your date of entry to apply for asylum either with USCIS or with the immigration court

As a battered spouse, child or parent, you may file an immigrant visa petition under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Anyone requesting consideration for deferred action under this process must have been under 31 years old as of June 15, 2012. You must also be at least 15 years or older to request deferred action, unless you are currently in removal proceedings or have a final removal or voluntary departure order.

Designed to permit thousands of Cuban refugees to adjust to lawful permanent residence. Most of these Cubans were parolees or nonimmigrants who could not return to Cuba for political reasons, but could not seek residence through other means. Similar laws have been passed over the years for other nationalities as well, e.g., Public Law 101-167 (for former nationals of the Soviet Union, Laotians, Cambodians, and Vietnamese).

The President’s discretion to authorize as part of his power to conduct foreign relations and is not a specific immigration status. Individuals covered by DED are not subject to removal from the United States, usually for a designated period of time.

Is the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorized arrival, and those subject to deportation and removal in detention until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to repatriate them to their country of departure.

Petitions for relatives – spouse, sibling, child, parents.

You may petition for certain family members to receive a green card, a fiancée visa, or a K-3/K-4 Visa based on your relationship.

Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement.

U.S. citizens wishing to bring a foreign national fiancé(e) living abroad to the United States to marry.

Since March 4, 2013, certain immigrant visa applicants who are immediate relatives (spouses, children and parents) of U.S. citizens can apply for provisional unlawful presence waivers before they leave the United States for their consular interview.

Also known as trafficking in persons, is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers lure individuals with false promises of employment and a better life.

Applies to certain individuals from Guatemala, El Salvador, and the former Soviet bloc countries who entered the United States and applied for asylum by specified dates or registered for benefits under the settlement agreement in the class action lawsuit American Baptist Churches v. Thornburgh.

Are administrative proceedings to determine an individual’s removability under United States immigration law. Removal proceedings are typically conducted in Immigration Court (the Executive Office for Immigration Review) by an immigration judge.

A form of protection that may be granted to people who meet the definition of refugee and who are of special humanitarian concern to the United States.

Some children who are here in the U.S. without legal immigration status may need humanitarian protection because they have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent. Special immigrant juvenile status is an immigration classification that may allow these vulnerable children to apply immediately for lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as having a Green Card.

USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States to stay here for a limited period of time. Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS.

U nonimmigrant status (U visa) is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act) in October 2000. The legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of aliens and other crimes, while also protecting victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse due to the crime and are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The legislation also helps law enforcement agencies to better serve victims of crimes.

Abused spouses and children of US

citizen or lawful residents. The abusive US citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse does not need to assist or be aware of the petition.

The VAWA provisions in the INA allow certain spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens and certain spouses and children of permanent residents (Green Card holders) to file a petition for themselves, without the abuser’s knowledge. This allows victims to seek both safety and independence from their abuser, who is not notified about the filing.