Who is an alien for purposes of United States immigration?

Legal Help Center

For help call a Lead Counsel Rated Attorney

Rodríguez Quesada Assoc., P.C.

Arlington, VA
866-749-8401
Immigration
Immigration Solutions Group, PLLC

Washington, DC
202-234-0899
Immigration
Claudia J. Zucker, P.C

Arlington, VA
866-241-5022
Immigration

Find More Lawyers >>

LawInfo Library

LawInfo Biblioteca

Preguntas Frecuentes
Diccionario jurídico español

Home > English > FAQs > Immigration > Citizenship and Naturalization

Other Immigration Resources

Who is an alien for purposes of United States immigration?

An alien is any individual who is not a citizen or a national of the U.S. Within the category of alien are several distinctions:

Legal alien: one who is permitted to remain in the U.S. based on certain terms
Resident alien: one who is permitted to reside in the U.S. either temporarily or permanently
Nonresident alien: one who is permitted to visit the U.S.
Illegal alien: one who resides in the U.S. unlawfully, either as a result of illicit entry or an excessively long stay that outlasts the duration granted by a non-immigrant visa

Other Citizenship and Naturalization FAQs

Who has citizenship by birth?
Persons who are born in the United States are citizens at birth unless they are born to foreign diplomats. A person who is born abroad to TWO US citizens is a US … more
How do I become a naturalized citizen?
If you are not a US citizen by birth or did not acquire citizenship automatically after birth, you may still be eligible to become a citizen through the normal … more
What is an immigration Visa?
Immigrant and nonimmigrant are the two types of visas. The granting or denying of visas helps achieve the goals of immigration laws. Nonimmigrant visas are … more
Who determines whether or not my request(s) for entry into the U.S. will be granted?
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the agency responsible for approving immigrant entry into the U.S. USCIS is a bureau … more
How long does it take to become naturalized?
The time it takes to be naturalized varies from one local USCIS Service Center to another. more
Where can I be fingerprinted?
After the USCIS has received your application, the USCIS will notify you of the location where you should get fingerprinted. more
How do I know if my immigration problem involves the Department of State, USCIS, or the Department of Labor?
The answer depends on whether the problem involves a visa, a petition requesting permission to enter the United States, or labor certification.If the problem involves … more
How do most people become U.S. citizens?
One way in which citizenship may be achieved is by birth in the U.S., or birth to parents who are U.S. citizens. If neither of these situations applies, one may … more
Should I hire a lawyer?
Yes, whether you are filing forms because you were a child born abroad to one or two parents who are U.S. citizens, filing for natural or adopted children born abroad, … more
What is a green card?
A green card is, technically, a United States Permanent Resident Card. This card serves as identification for one who is a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the … more