Glossary

A unique seven-to-nine-digit number USCIS assigns to track an individual's immigration records, usually written with an "A" prefix. It appears on green cards, EADs, and many notices, and follows you across cases and over time.

The process of applying for a green card from inside the United States without leaving for a consular interview. You file Form I-485 once a visa number is available for your priority date. It is the alternative to consular processing for applicants already in the US in a valid status.

A travel document that lets certain applicants - often those with a pending I-485 - leave and re-enter the US without abandoning their application. You request it on Form I-131. Traveling without it while a green-card case is pending can cause the case to be considered abandoned.

A legally enforceable contract in which a sponsor promises to financially support a family-based immigrant so they do not become a public charge. Filed on Form I-864, it requires the sponsor to meet income thresholds tied to the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Fingerprints, a photo, and a signature that USCIS collects at an Application Support Center to run background and identity checks. Many applications require a biometrics appointment after filing, and processing often cannot finish until it is completed.

The country that counts against per-country visa limits for your case - normally your country of birth, not your citizenship. The Visa Bulletin lists separate columns for high-demand chargeability areas, and in some cases you can "cross-charge" to a spouse's or parent's country.

A two-year green card given to spouses married less than two years when they became permanent residents. To remove the conditions and get a ten-year card, the couple jointly files Form I-751 within the 90 days before the conditional card expires.

Applying for an immigrant visa at a US embassy or consulate abroad, then entering the US as a permanent resident. It is the path used when the applicant is outside the US, and runs through the National Visa Center before the consular interview.

A Visa Bulletin status meaning there is no backlog for that category and country - every qualified applicant can move forward that month regardless of priority date. When a column shows "C" you do not need to wait for a cut-off date to catch up to yours.

The dated entry shown in the Visa Bulletin for a category and country. Only applicants with a priority date earlier than the cut-off date can act that month. As supply and demand shift, the cut-off date moves forward, holds, or retrogresses.

One of the two charts in the Visa Bulletin. It shows when applicants can submit their application or assemble documents ahead of final approval, often earlier than the Final Action Date. Each month USCIS announces whether adjustment-of-status filers may use this chart.

A work permit, often called a work card, that lets certain non-citizens work legally in the US while a case is pending. You apply on Form I-765. Many adjustment-of-status applicants get an EAD while waiting for the green card itself.

The first employment-based green-card category, for priority workers: people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives and managers. It has the highest priority among employment categories.

The second employment-based category, for professionals with advanced degrees or people of exceptional ability. It usually requires a job offer and PERM labor certification, unless you qualify for a National Interest Waiver.

The third employment-based category, for skilled workers, professionals with a bachelor's degree, and certain other workers. It generally requires a job offer and PERM labor certification, and often has longer waits than EB-1 or EB-2.

The fourth employment-based category, for special immigrants - a group that includes certain religious workers and other defined classes. It has its own annual allocation within the employment-based limits.

The immigrant-investor category. It grants green cards to qualifying investors who invest a required amount in a US business and create a set number of jobs. It has its own visa allocation and chargeability columns in the Visa Bulletin.

The family-sponsored category for unmarried adult sons and daughters (21 or older) of US citizens. Like all family-preference categories, it is subject to annual numerical limits and shows up as its own row in the Visa Bulletin.

The family category for spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents (green-card holders). It typically moves faster than the other family-preference categories.

The family category for unmarried sons and daughters 21 or older of lawful permanent residents. It generally has a longer wait than F2A.

The family-sponsored category for married sons and daughters of US citizens, including their spouses and minor children. It is one of the more backlogged family categories.

The family category for brothers and sisters of adult US citizens, with their spouses and minor children. It is typically the most backlogged family-preference category, with some of the longest waits in the Visa Bulletin.

One of the two charts in the Visa Bulletin. It marks when a green card can actually be approved or an immigrant visa issued. A case must reach its Final Action Date before USCIS or a consulate can grant permanent residence.

The common name for the Permanent Resident Card, which proves a person holds lawful permanent resident status in the US. It allows you to live and work permanently and is the step before eligibility to apply for citizenship.

A provision in the EB-2 category that waives the job-offer and PERM labor-certification requirements when the applicant's work is in the national interest of the United States. It lets qualified individuals self-petition.

The process by which a lawful permanent resident becomes a US citizen. You apply on Form N-400, pass the English and civics tests, attend an interview, and take the Oath of Allegiance. Most applicants are eligible after three or five years as a permanent resident.

A letter USCIS sends when it is leaning toward denying a case but gives you a final chance to respond with arguments and evidence. It is more serious than an RFE and must be answered carefully by the deadline stated.

A State Department facility that handles immigrant-visa cases between USCIS approval and the consular interview abroad. It collects fees, the Affidavit of Support, and civil documents, then schedules the interview at the appropriate US consulate.

A cap that prevents any single country from using more than a set share of the annual immigrant visas in each preference category. It is why applicants born in high-demand countries like India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines face longer waits and separate Visa Bulletin columns.

The Department of Labor process most employment-based green-card cases must complete first. The employer tests the US labor market and certifies that no qualified US worker is available for the job. For PERM cases, the date PERM is filed usually becomes the priority date.

The classification that determines your place in the green-card queue, divided into family-sponsored (F1-F4) and employment-based (EB-1 through EB-5) tracks. Each category has its own annual visa supply and its own row in the Visa Bulletin.

Your place in line for a green card. For family cases it is usually the date USCIS received the I-130 petition; for most employment cases it is the PERM filing date (or I-140 date if no PERM is needed). You can move forward once the Visa Bulletin reaches your priority date.

The label for applicants in the EB-1 first-preference category - people with extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers and professors, and certain multinational executives and managers. Priority workers sit at the front of the employment-based queue.

The 13-character identifier USCIS assigns when it accepts a filing - three letters plus ten digits, such as IOE0123456789. The letters indicate the handling office or system, and you use the full number to track your case.

When a cut-off date in the Visa Bulletin moves backward instead of forward, usually because demand has outstripped the available visa numbers. A category that was current can retrogress, pushing applicants back in line - it often happens late in the fiscal year.

A notice USCIS sends when it needs more documentation or information before deciding a case. You must respond by the deadline with the requested evidence; a complete, on-time response keeps the case moving rather than risking a denial.

A Visa Bulletin status meaning no visa numbers are available for that category and country that month, so no one in it can move forward. It often appears near the end of the fiscal year when an annual allocation has been used up.

The federal agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, that adjudicates immigration benefits - petitions, green-card applications, work permits, and naturalization. It is the office that receives most of the forms tracked on this site.

The monthly report from the U.S. Department of State that sets out which green-card applicants can move forward, by preference category and country of chargeability. It contains the Final Action and Dates for Filing charts that drive the entire queue.

One of the limited annual immigrant visas allocated by law across preference categories and countries. A green card cannot be granted until a visa number is available for your priority date, which is exactly what the Visa Bulletin tracks.