DEFINITION

• Immigration is the act of entering a country with the intention of permanent settlement.

• A person who lives in a country, but is not a citizen, is an alien.

• Immigration law is governed by federal law. Immigration issues are covered under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

• The Immigration and Nationality Act is administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a federal agency under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice.

• Violation of legal immigration status can lead to government proceedings to remove the violator from the country. This is called deportation.

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RELATED PRACTICE AREAS

Business & Commercial Law
Civil Rights
Criminal Law
Employment Law -- Employer

BUZZWORDS

Alien - A person who is not a citizen of a given country but resides there legally or illegally.

Asylum - Protection of a political refugee from arrest by a foreign jurisdiction.

Citizen - A person is a citizen of the country where he or she was born or has been approved for citizenship.

Deportation - The act of removing a person to another country.

Green Card - A registration card evidencing a resident alien's status as a permanent United States resident.

Naturalization - To grant citizenship to a foreign-born person under statutory authority.

Refugee - A person who has fled from or been deported by his or her home country.

Visas - Temporary permission to visit a country for a limited time and purpose.

PRACTICE AREA NOTES

• An immigration attorney is compensated by either fixed fee or hourly rate. This is usually based on the complexity of the case.