US IMMIGRATION

1. Alien:  A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States
   
   
2. Citizen:  Citizenship generally refers the country in which a person is born.  A U.S. citizen may be born here, or become a citizen through the process of naturalization.     
3. Immigrant:  A foreign national that seeks permanent residency in the U.S.
   
   
4. I-94 Card:  A small green or white card given to all nonimmigrants when they enter the United States. The I-94 card serves as evidence that a nonimmigrant has entered the country legally.  It is stamped with a date indicating how long the foreign national is permitted to stay in the U.S. and in what status. 
   
   
5. Green Card:   Officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, the green card is evidence of lawful permanent resident status in the United States. It allows a foreign national to live, work legally, travel abroad and return to the United States. Green Card holders may also apply for U.S. citizenship after a certain period of time.
   
   
6. Nonimmigrant:  A foreign national that enters the U.S. for purposes other than immigrating (seeking permanent residence).  Common nonimmigrant categories include students, temporary workers and trainees, exchange visitors, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, and religious workers.
   
   
7. Passport:  A document that is issued by the government of the country of citizenship. People traveling in the United States must be in possession of a valid passport at all times.  As of January 30, 2008, it is advisable to carry a valid passport when border-crossing between the U.S. and Canada as evidence of citizenship.
   
   
8. Permanent Resident:  Any person that is not a citizen of the United States but has lawfully-recognized status as a permanent resident.  Also referred to as immigrant, green-card holder.
   
   
9. Status:  The legal position of a foreign national in the United States.  An individual may also fall “out-of-status” or violate status for a variety of reasons.
   
   
10. Visa:  A stamp in the passport or document issued by an American Embassy or Consulate abroad, or by an immigration inspector at a U.S. port-of-entry.  A visa grants a foreign national the right to apply for entry to the United States, but does not grant the visa holder the right to enter the United States. Department of Homeland Security determine admission at ports-of-entry, and an immigration officer will record the terms of admission into Form I-94. 

**Canadians are visa-exempt.  27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which permits nationals of foreign countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa.