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Glossary of Immigration and
Naturalization Terms
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Immediate Relatives: Certain
immigrants who because of their close
relationship to U.S. citizens are exempt from
the numerical limitations imposed on immigration
to the United States. Immediate relatives are:
spouses of citizens, children (under 21 years of
age and unmarried) of citizens, and parents of
citizens 21 years of age or older.
Immigration Act of 1990: Public Law
101-649 (Act of November 29, 1990), which
increased the limits on legal immigration to the
United States, revised all grounds for exclusion
and deportation, authorized temporary protected
status to aliens of designated countries,
revised and established new nonimmigrant
admission categories, revised and extended the
Visa Waiver Pilot Program, and revised
naturalization authority and requirements.
Immigration and Nationality Act: The
Act (INA), which, along with other immigration
laws, treaties, and conventions of the United
States, relates to the immigration, temporary
admission, naturalization, and removal of
aliens.
Immigration Judge: An attorney
appointed by the Attorney General to act as an
administrative judge within the Executive Office
for Immigration Review. They are qualified to
conduct specified classes of proceedings,
including removal proceedings.
Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of
1986: Public Law 99-639 (Act of 11/10/86),
which was passed in order to deter
immigration-related marriage fraud. Its major
provision stipulates that aliens deriving their
immigrant status based on a marriage of less
than two years are conditional immigrants. To
remove their conditional status the immigrants
must apply at an U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services office during the 90-day
period before their second-year anniversary of
receiving conditional status. If the aliens
cannot show that the marriage through which the
status was obtained was and is a valid one,
their conditional immigrant status may be
terminated and they may become deportable.
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
of 1986: Public Law 99-603 (Act of 11/6/86),
which was passed in order to control and deter
illegal immigration to the United States. Its
major provisions stipulate legalization of
undocumented aliens who had been continuously
unlawfully present since 1982, legalization of
certain agricultural workers, sanctions for
employers who knowingly hire undocumented
workers, and increased enforcement at U.S.
borders.
Inadmissible: An alien seeking
admission at a port of entry who does not meet
the criteria in the INA for admission. The alien
may be placed in removal proceedings or, under
certain circumstances, allowed to withdraw his
or her application for admission.
International Representative: As a
non-immigrant class of admission, an alien
coming temporarily to the United States as a
principal or other accredited representative of
a foreign government (whether officially
recognized or not recognized by the United
States) to an international organization, an
international organization officer or employee,
and all above aliens’ spouses and unmarried
minor (or dependent) children.
Intracompany Transferee: An alien,
employed for at least one continuous year out of
the last three by an international firm or
corporation, who seeks to enter the United
States temporarily in order to continue to work
for the same employer, or a subsidiary or
affiliate, in a capacity that is primarily
managerial, executive, or involves specialized
knowledge, and the alien’s spouse and minor
unmarried children. | 
