Below are the most common terms used or referred to in dealing with questions, problems and concerns of international students.
USCIS
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service, is responsible for educational institutions, along with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the Department of Homeland Security. These agencies oversee entry of foreign visitors to the United States and their legal stay in the country. They also authorize educational institutions such as SPC to perform certain immigration functions such as issuing visa eligibility documents. There is a local USCIS office in Tampa at 5524 W Cypress St., open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. No walk-ins are allowed, but you can make an appointment at www.infopass.uscis.gov.
PASSPORT
A passport is a travel document issued by a government to identify a person as a citizen or permanent resident, showing that person’s origin, identity and nationality. The passport must be valid for entry of the bearer into a foreign country.
VISA
A visa for entry into the United States is applied for at a United States consulate office operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of State outside of the United States. One cannot obtain a visa in the United States. The visa is a certificate in the passport and gives the foreign visitor permission to proceed to the United States. It does not guarantee entry into the United States.
POE
Port of Entry is the place at which the visa and I-20 are presented and where the foreign visitor may be interviewed, fingerprinted and photographed for entry into the United States.
I-94
An arrival/departure white card is issued for foreign travelers who are presenting a visa for entry into the United States. A green (color) card is issued for those countries that the Department of State has approved for entry without a visa. The type of visa and length of stay is noted on the card (not on the visa).
IMMIGRANT
An immigrant is a person who has been granted permission to legally reside permanently in the United States. This status is referred to as being a “green card”* holder. This status also may be granted to refugees and those to whom political asylum has been extended. *Note: This is not the same as a Florida resident.
NON-IMMIGRANT
A non-immigrant is a person who has been issued a non-immigrant visa (NIV) by the United States Department of State. NIVs normally are issued only to persons determined as having no intention to immigrate to the United States.
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