Immigration glossary.

Adjustment of status is the process of becoming a green card holder from inside the U.S. without returning abroad for a visa interview.

The beneficiary is the person who will receive the immigration benefit a petition requests, usually the employee.

A cap-exempt employer can file H-1B petitions year-round without the lottery, typically universities, affiliated nonprofits and research organizations.

Cap-gap automatically extends an F-1 student's status and work authorization until the H-1B start date on October 1.

A change of status switches someone from one nonimmigrant category to another while they remain in the U.S., such as F-1 to H-1B.

Concurrent filing means submitting the I-140 and I-485 together when the priority date is current.

Consular processing is applying for a U.S. visa or immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

An EAD (Form I-766) is a USCIS-issued work permit card, applied for on Form I-765.

Form I-129 is the USCIS Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, used for H-1B, L-1, O-1 and in-country TN and E-3 filings.

Form I-140 is the Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, the USCIS petition that classifies someone for an employment-based green card category.

Form I-485 is the application to adjust status to permanent resident (green card) from inside the United States.

Form I-797 is the USCIS Notice of Action used for receipts, approvals, RFEs and other case updates.

The I-94 is the arrival/departure record showing a nonimmigrant's status and the date their authorized stay ends.

H-4 status covers the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an H-1B holder.

The LCA (Form ETA-9035) is a Department of Labor filing in which an employer attests to wages and working conditions before filing an H-1B or E-3.

A National Interest Waiver lets an EB-2 applicant skip the job offer and PERM requirement when their work benefits the United States.

A NOID tells the petitioner that USCIS plans to deny a case and gives a final chance to respond, usually within 33 days.

PERM is the Department of Labor process that shows there are no qualified, willing U.S. workers for a role, required for most employer-sponsored EB-2 and EB-3 green cards.

The petitioner is the person or organization that files an immigration petition, usually the U.S. employer.

Premium processing is an optional USCIS service that guarantees action on certain petitions within 15 business days (45 for some I-140s) for an extra fee.

The prevailing wage is the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in a given occupation and area, set by the Department of Labor.

A priority date is a green card applicant's place in line, usually the date the PERM or I-140 was filed.

An RFE is a notice from USCIS asking for more documents or explanation before it decides a petition.

A specialty occupation is a role that requires theoretical and practical application of specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field.

The Visa Bulletin is the State Department's monthly chart showing which green card priority dates can move forward, by category and country.