Glossary of terms (TR–EN)

This glossary explains English terms you may encounter in immigration, tax, health care, and everyday matters in the United States, with their Turkish equivalents. Terms are arranged alphabetically according to the English names used in official documents; those beginning with numbers appear at the end. For agency names and telephone numbers, see 13.2 Official agencies and links.

• A-Number (Alien Registration Number) — alien registration number
  • A unique 7-, 8-, or 9-digit number assigned to an alien by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
• Accredited representative — accredited representative
  • A person affiliated with an organization recognized by the BIA who is authorized to represent people in immigration matters and may charge only very low fees.
• Adjustment of status — adjustment of status (green card from within the United States)
  • Applying for a green card while in the United States without returning to your country for consular visa processing (Form I-485); see 3.8.
• Admission — admission (entry into the United States)
  • Lawful entry into the United States after inspection by an immigration officer; permission is granted by a CBP officer.
• Advance parole — travel permission
  • A document allowing a person with a pending application to return to the United States without obtaining a visa; in most cases, it must be obtained before leaving the United States.
• Affidavit of support (Form I-864) — financial sponsorship undertaking
  • A legally binding document showing that you have agreed to financially support the immigrant; the obligation generally ends when the immigrant becomes a citizen or works for approximately 10 years.
• Asylee — person granted asylum
  • A person who cannot return to their country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution and who has been granted asylum in the United States or at a port of entry; see 12.4.

• Beneficiary — beneficiary
  • An alien for whom a relative or employer has filed a petition, or who has applied on their own behalf.
• BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) — Board of Immigration Appeals
  • A body within EOIR that reviews most decisions of immigration judges.
• Biometrics — biometrics
  • The collection of fingerprints, photographs, and signatures for identification purposes.
• Civil surgeon — USCIS-authorized doctor
  • A doctor authorized by USCIS to perform immigration medical examinations in the United States; an examination performed by another doctor is invalid.
• Coinsurance — percentage-based cost sharing
  • The percentage of the cost of a covered health service that you pay after meeting your deductible (for example, 20%).
• Conditional resident — conditional permanent resident
  • A person whose green card was granted for a two-year conditional period; they must request removal of the condition before the second year expires; see 3.10.
• Continuous residence — continuous residence
  • The period during which a green card holder maintains a permanent home in the United States; it is one of the requirements for citizenship.
• Copayment (copay) — fixed copayment
  • A fixed amount you pay for a covered health service (for example, $30).
• CPT (Curricular Practical Training) — curricular practical training
  • Mandatory training or paid work performed by a student under an agreement between the school and an employer.
• Credit report — credit report
  • A report showing your credit history; you can obtain the reports of all three bureaus free of charge from AnnualCreditReport.com.
• Credit score — credit score
  • A score estimating the likelihood that you will repay debts on time based on the information in your credit report; see 10.2.
• Current ("C") — current
  • When "C" appears instead of a date in the Visa Bulletin, it means that all priority dates in that category may be processed.

• D/S (Duration of Status) — stay for the duration of status
  • An I-94 notation in statuses such as F and J meaning "stay as long as status is maintained" instead of specifying a date; a court postponed the effective date of the 2026 rule eliminating this notation until September 14, 2026.
• Deductible — deductible (annual out-of-pocket amount)
  • The amount you pay yourself for covered health services before your insurance begins to pay; see 9.1.
• Deportation / removal — deportation
  • The removal from the United States of an alien found to have violated immigration law; since 1997, this has been called "removal"; see 12.3.
• DS-160 / DS-260 — temporary visa / immigrant visa application form
  • Visa forms completed online through the Department of State: DS-160 is for temporary visas and DS-260 is for immigrant visas; see 1.3.
• DS-2019 — J-1 eligibility document
  • A document issued by the program sponsor through SEVIS and required for a J-1 visa application.
• EAD (Employment Authorization Document) — employment authorization card
  • A photo ID card issued by USCIS as Form I-766 showing that you are authorized to work in the United States; see 5.2.
• EIN (Employer Identification Number) — employer tax identification number
  • A federal tax identification number issued free of charge by the IRS to businesses and organizations; see 14.3.
• EMTALA — emergency treatment law
  • A 1986 law requiring hospitals participating in Medicare and having emergency departments to provide emergency examinations regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
• ESTA / Visa Waiver Program — electronic travel authorization / Visa Waiver Program
  • A system allowing citizens of participating countries to travel without a visa for up to 90 days; Türkiye is not in this program.
• E-Verify — employment eligibility verification system
  • An online system through which an employer compares an employee’s Form I-9 information with SSA and DHS records.

• FBAR — foreign account report
  • A report filed by U.S. persons whose foreign accounts exceed $10,000 in total at any time during the year; see 15.6.
• FICA — Social Security and Medicare tax
  • A payroll tax; in 2026, employees and employers each pay 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare; see 17.2.
• Final action date — final action date
  • The date in the Visa Bulletin indicating that applicants whose priority dates are before that date may be called for a visa interview; see 3.3.
• Good moral character — good moral character requirement
  • A requirement assessed for the five years before applying for citizenship (three years for those married to U.S. citizens).
• Green card (Form I-551) / LPR — permanent resident card / lawful permanent resident
  • A card showing the right to live and work permanently in the United States; most are valid for 10 years, while conditional cards are valid for 2 years; see 3.1.
• HMO / PPO — types of health plans
  • An HMO generally covers only doctors affiliated with the plan; with a PPO, you may also see out-of-network doctors, but you pay more.

• I-9 — employment eligibility form
  • A form through which an employer verifies the identity and work authorization of everyone hired, including citizens; see 5.4.
• I-20 — student eligibility document
  • A document issued by a school through SEVIS and required for an F-1 or M-1 visa; see 6.3.
• I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) — arrival/departure record
  • A record created by CBP upon entry showing your class of admission and authorized stay expiration date; see 1.9.
• Immediate relative — immediate relative
  • The spouse of a U.S. citizen, an unmarried child under 21, and, if the citizen is 21 or older, their parent; there is no numerical limit in this category.
• ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) — individual taxpayer identification number
  • A nine-digit number issued by the IRS to people who cannot obtain an SSN but need a number for federal tax purposes; see 15.2.

• Labor certification (PERM) — labor certification
  • Approval obtained by an employer from the Department of Labor for an employment-based green card; see 3.4.
• Medicaid — health insurance for people with low incomes
  • A program providing free or low-cost health insurance to some low-income people, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities; see 16.3.
• Medicare — federal health insurance
  • Federal health insurance for people age 65 and older and certain people with disabilities; see 17.6.
• Minimum wage / overtime — minimum wage / overtime
  • The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour; work exceeding 40 hours per week must be paid at least 1.5 times the regular rate; see 5.5.
• National Visa Center (NVC) — National Visa Center
  • A Department of State unit in New Hampshire that handles pre-processing and collects fees for approved immigrant visa petitions.
• Naturalization — naturalization
  • The process by which a person born outside the United States voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen (Form N-400); see 4.1.
• Nonimmigrant — nonimmigrant status holder
  • An alien admitted to the United States for a specific purpose and a specific period.
• Notary public / "notario" — notary
  • In the United States, a notary only witnesses signatures and administers oaths; they cannot provide legal services regarding immigration; see 12.6.

• Open enrollment period — open enrollment period
  • The annual period during which plans can be purchased through the health insurance Marketplace; see 9.3.
• OPT (Optional Practical Training) — optional practical training
  • Temporary employment by an F-1 student directly related to their field of study; work authorization is granted for up to 12 months; see 2.2.
• Out-of-pocket maximum — annual out-of-pocket maximum
  • The highest amount you will pay for covered services during a plan year.
• Overstay — overstay
  • Staying longer than the period authorized on your I-94, which may prevent you from obtaining a visa in the future; see 2.9.
• Panel physician — panel physician
  • A doctor selected by a U.S. mission to conduct immigrant visa medical examinations abroad; see 3.9.
• Parole — parole
  • Permission to be present in the United States for humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, which does not constitute admission.
• Petitioner — petitioner
  • A U.S. citizen, green card holder, or employer who files an immigration petition.
• Premium — premium
  • The amount you pay each month for health insurance.
• Prior authorization — prior authorization
  • Approval by an insurer in advance that a treatment, medication, or medical device is medically necessary; it is required for some services except in emergencies.
• Priority date — priority date
  • The date that determines your place in line for an immigrant visa; in family-based applications, it is the date the petition was filed; see 3.3.
• Public charge — public charge
  • An assessment that may prevent a person believed likely to become dependent on government assistance from obtaining a green card or visa; see 16.5.

• REAL ID — REAL ID-compliant identification
  • An identification standard required for domestic flights and some federal buildings since May 2025; a passport is also accepted.
• Receipt number — application tracking number
  • A 13-character number assigned by USCIS to each application, consisting of 3 letters and 10 digits.
• Re-entry permit — re-entry permit
  • A document obtained by green card holders who will remain abroad for one year or longer, using Form I-131 before departure; see 3.11.
• Refugee — refugee
  • A person who cannot return to their country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution while outside that country.
• Request for Evidence (RFE) — request for additional evidence
  • A notice sent by USCIS when a document is missing or invalid, or when an officer needs more information to make a decision.
• Selective Service — military registration system
  • A system in which almost all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants aged 18–25 must register; see 8.5.
• SEVIS — student and exchange visitor information system
  • A DHS database containing information about F, M, and J visa holders.
• Special enrollment period — special enrollment period
  • A period when you can enroll in insurance outside open enrollment after events such as marriage, birth, moving, or loss of insurance; it is usually 60 days.
• SSN (Social Security Number) — Social Security number
  • A number required for work that records your earnings and retirement benefits; see 5.3.
• Substantial presence test — substantial presence test
  • A test under which people present in the United States for at least 31 days in the current year and at least 183 days using a three-year calculation are treated as tax residents; see 15.1.

• Unlawful presence — unlawful presence
  • Time spent in the United States after entering without authorization or after the authorized stay expires; exceeding 180 days may result in a 3- or 10-year bar upon departure; see 12.2.
• Urgent care — urgent care center
  • A place for illnesses and injuries requiring prompt attention but not an emergency room; see 9.4.
• Visa — visa
  • Allows you to request entry to the United States in a specific class but does not guarantee admission; CBP decides the length of your stay upon entry.
• Visa Bulletin — Visa Bulletin
  • A Department of State publication showing each month through which priority dates may be used for immigrant visa numbers.
• W-2 / W-4 — wage statement / withholding form
  • W-2 is the annual wage and withholding statement issued by an employer; W-4 is the form an employee gives the employer so the correct tax amount can be withheld.
• Willful misrepresentation — willful misrepresentation
  • Making a statement while knowing it is false; it may create a bar to a visa or admission.

• 214(b) — refusal based on immigrant intent
  • Means that you did not meet the requirements for a temporary visa or did not prove that you are not an immigrant; there is no appeal, but you may reapply; see 1.7.
• 221(g) — refusal due to missing documents
  • Means that the consular officer does not have all the information needed to make a decision; if the missing document is submitted within one year, no new fee is required.
• 1040-NR — nonresident alien tax return
  • The federal income tax return for aliens who are not considered tax residents; see 15.3.

• USCIS – Immigration glossary
• U.S. Department of State – Visa glossary
• HealthCare.gov – Health insurance glossary
• Guide for new immigrants – Welcome to the United States (PDF)
• IRS Publication 519 – Tax guide for aliens (PDF)