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Glossary of Immigration and
Naturalization Terms
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NACARA: Nicaraguan Adjustment and
Central American Relief Act.
National: A person owing permanent
allegiance to a state.
NATO Official: As a non-immigrant
class of admission, an alien coming temporarily
to the United States as a member of the armed
forces or as a civilian employed by the armed
forces on assignment with a foreign government
signatory to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization), and the alien’s spouse and
unmarried minor (or dependent) children.
Naturalization:
The conferring, by any means, of citizenship
upon a person after birth.
Naturalization Application: The form
used by a lawful permanent resident to apply for
U.S. citizenship. The application is filed with
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the
Service Center with jurisdiction over the
applicant’s place of residence.
Non-Immigrant: An alien who seeks
temporary entry to the United States for a
specific purpose. The alien must have a
permanent residence abroad (for most classes of
admission) and qualify for the non-immigrant
classification sought. The non-immigrant
classifications include: foreign government
officials, visitors for business and for
pleasure, aliens in transit through the United
States, treaty traders and investors, students,
international representatives, temporary workers
and trainees, representatives of foreign
information media, exchange visitors, fiances of
U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO
officials, religious workers, and some others.
Most non-immigrants can be accompanied or joined
by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent)
children.
Non-Preference Category:
Non-preference visas were available to qualified
applicants not entitled to a visa under the
preferences until the category was eliminated by
the Immigration Act of 1990. Non-preference
visas for persons not entitled to the other
preferences had not been available since
September 1978 because of high demand in the
preference categories. An additional 5,000
non-preference visas were available in each of
fiscal years 1987 and 1988 under a provision of
the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
This program was extended into 1989, 1990, and
1991 with 15,000 visas issued each year. Aliens
born in countries from which immigration was
adversely affected by the Immigration and
Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 (Public Law
89-236) were eligible for the special
non-preference visas.
North American Free-Trade Agreement
(NAFTA): Public Law 103-182 (Act of
12/8/93), superseded the United States-Canada
Free-Trade Agreement as of 1/1/94. It continues
the special, reciprocal trading relationship
between the United States and Canada, and
establishes a similar relationship with Mexico.
Numerical Limit, Exempt from: Those
aliens accorded lawful permanent residence who
are exempt from the provisions of the flexible
numerical limit of 675,000 set by the
Immigration Act of 1990. Exempt categories
include immediate relatives of U.S. citizens,
refugees, asylees (limited to 10,000 per year by
section 209(b) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act), Amerasians, aliens adjusted
under the legalization provisions of the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and
certain parolees from the former Soviet Union
and Indochina.
Nursing Relief Act of 1989: Public Law
101-238 (Act of 12/18/89), provides for the
adjustment to permanent resident status of
certain non-immigrants who as of September 1,
1989, had H-1 nonimmigrant status as registered
nurses; who had been employed in that capacity
for at least 3 years; and whose continued
nursing employment meets certain labor
certification requirements.
Nationality: The country of a person’s
citizenship or country in which the person is
deemed a national. | 
