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These are the common abbreviations and acronyms used in immigratiogjn law (such as RFE for Request for Evidence).

a e b c d f g i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w

Click one of the letters above to go to a page containing all terms beginning with that letter.

ACWIA edit term search for term: American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998.
AOS edit term search for term: Adjustment of Status

Detailed definition of AOS

e
ECA edit term search for term: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

a
AD edit term search for term: Approval Date (When your application was approved)
ADIT edit term search for term: Alien Documentation, Identification & Telecommunications System
AFOD edit term search for term: Assistant Field Office Director
AILA edit term search for term: Abbreviation for American Immigration Lawyers Association.
AO edit term search for term: Adjudications Officer
AR edit term search for term: Administrative Review
AR-11 edit term search for term: Alien's Change of Address Form
ASC edit term search for term: Application Support Center: offers biometric services including fingerprinting services

b
BC edit term search for term: Birth Certificate
BCIS edit term search for term: Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (now USCIS)
BIA edit term search for term: Board of Immigrant Appeals
BIO edit term search for term: Biometrics (include Digital photo, index finger print and your digital signature). This is needed for the production of Green Card.

c
CBP edit term search for term: Customs and Border Protection
CIA edit term search for term: Central Intelligence Agency
CIS edit term search for term: Citizenship and Immigration Services
CO edit term search for term: Consulate Officer
CP edit term search for term: Consular Processing
CPR edit term search for term: Conditional Permanent Resident
CPT edit term search for term: Curricular Practical Training
CRO edit term search for term: Central Regional Office
CSC edit term search for term: California Service Center
CWOP edit term search for term: Cancelled Without Prejudice

d
DFOD edit term search for term: Deputy Field Office Director
DHS edit term search for term: Department of Homeland Security
DL edit term search for term: Drivers License
DMV edit term search for term: Department of Motor Vehicles
DOJ edit term search for term: Department of Justice
DOL edit term search for term: Department of Labor
DORA edit term search for term: Dallas Office Rapid Adjustment of Status
DOS edit term search for term: Department of State
DRO edit term search for term: Detention and Removal Operations
DV edit term search for term: Diversity Visa (a.k.a. Green Card Lottery)

e
EAC edit term search for term: Eastern Application Center
EAD edit term search for term: Employment Authorization Document (I-765, approval to work while waiting for Adjustment of Status - AOS Approval)
EDS edit term search for term: Electronic Data Systems
EOIR edit term search for term: Executive Office of Immigration Review
ER edit term search for term: Expedited Removal
ERO edit term search for term: Eastern Regional Office
EWI edit term search for term: Entered Without Inspection

f
FAM edit term search for term: Foreign Affairs Manual
FBI edit term search for term: Federal Bureau of Investigation
FOD edit term search for term: Field Office Director
FP edit term search for term: Finger Print
FTR edit term search for term: File Transfer Request

g
GC edit term search for term: Green Card

Detailed definition of GC

i
I-131 edit term search for term: Application for Travel Document
I-134 edit term search for term: Affidavit of Support
I-140 edit term search for term: Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker

Detailed definition of I-140
I-181 edit term search for term: Welcome Notice
I-485 edit term search for term: Application To Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Detailed definition of I-485
I-551 edit term search for term: Green Card
I-765 edit term search for term: Application for Employment Authorization
I-864 edit term search for term: Affidavit of Support
I-9 edit term search for term: Employment Eligibility Verification
I-90 edit term search for term: Application to Replace Permanent Residence Card
i-EAD edit term search for term: Interim EAD
IJ edit term search for term: Immigration Judge
IMBRA edit term search for term: International Marriage Brokers Act
INA edit term search for term: Immigration and Nationality Act
INFOPASS edit term search for term: Is an online appointment so you can go to your DO if you have a doubt or want to know something about your case in person or to request your interim EAD
INS edit term search for term: Immigration and Naturalization Service (now called USCIS)
IO edit term search for term: Immigration officer / Interviewing officer
IRCA edit term search for term: Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
IRS edit term search for term: Internal Revenue Service
ISP edit term search for term: Internet Service Provider
ITIN edit term search for term: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
IV edit term search for term: Immigrant Visa
IVACS edit term search for term: Immigrant Visa Applicant Control System

j
JFK edit term search for term: John F. Kennedy International Airport

k
KCC edit term search for term: Kentucky Consular Center

l
LCA edit term search for term: Labor Condition Application
LPR edit term search for term: Lawful Permanent Resident
LPRA edit term search for term: Lawful Permanent Resident Alien
LUD edit term search for term: Last Update Date on your on-line portfolio at USCIS website. It is the date when they last took action on your application, could be anything.

m
MRD edit term search for term: Machine Readable Data
MRP edit term search for term: Machine Readable Passport
MRV edit term search for term: Machine Readable Visa
MSC edit term search for term: Missouri Service Center

n
ND edit term search for term: Notice Date (When USCIS notified you that they received your application)
NDEC edit term search for term: National Data Entry Center
NIV edit term search for term: Non Immigrant Visa
NOA edit term search for term: Notice of Action is your receipt/letter that you received after you filed your forms (indicates I-797C)
NPRM edit term search for term: Notice of Proposed Rule Making
NSC edit term search for term: Nebraska Service Center
NTA edit term search for term: Notice To Appear
NVC edit term search for term: National Visa Center
NYDO edit term search for term: New York District Office

o
OMB edit term search for term: Office of Management and Budget
OPT edit term search for term: Optional Practical Training

Detailed definition of OPT
OTM edit term search for term: Other Than Mexican

p
PCC edit term search for term: Police Clearance Certificate
PD edit term search for term: Priority Date
PERM edit term search for term: PERM Processing: Program Electronic Review Management
PFI edit term search for term: Pre-Flight Inspection
POE edit term search for term: Port of Entry
PR edit term search for term: Permanent Resident (Also LPR - Legal Permanent Resident)

q
QA edit term search for term: Quality Assurance

r
RAC edit term search for term: Remote Adjudications Center
RD edit term search for term: Receipt Date (When USCIS received your application)
RFE edit term search for term: Request for Evidence
RFI edit term search for term: Request for Initial Evidence

s
SC edit term search for term: Service Center (this is used with a prefix, eg CSC - California Service Center; MSC - Missouri Service Center, that is the address from where you will received your NOA (Notice of Action))
SDDO edit term search for term: Supervisory Detention & Deportation Officer
SEVIS edit term search for term: Student Exchange Visitor Information System
SEVP edit term search for term: Student and Exchange Visitor Program
SSA edit term search for term: Social Security Administration
SSN edit term search for term: Social Security Number
SWA edit term search for term: State Workforce Agency

t
TD edit term search for term: NAFTA Professional Dependant visa
TN edit term search for term: NAFTA Professional visa
Touch edit term search for term: When the UCSIS "Touches" your petition or file it means that an action was taken which required your file to be physically touched or moved. Example: Your file is touched when it is given to an adjudicator to process.
TPS edit term search for term: Temporary Protected Status
TSC edit term search for term: Texas Service Center
tt edit term search for term: This is an abbreviation for test_term and can be deleted
TWOV edit term search for term: Transit Without Visa

u
US Visit edit term search for term: System in airports that captures biometrics of people entering the country
USC edit term search for term: US Citizen
USCIS edit term search for term: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

v
VR edit term search for term: Voluntary Return
VSC edit term search for term: Vermont Service Center
VWP edit term search for term: Visa Waiver Program

Detailed definition of VWP

w
WAC edit term search for term: Western Application Center
WRO edit term search for term: Western Regional Office

Nonimmigrant Visas

Green Cards

Common Topics

Professions