United States Citizens

Persons born in the U.S., naturalized through court proceedings, or born abroad to U.S. citizens are citizens. A citizen is not required to carry proof of citizenship.

Noncitizens

Immigrants

Immigrants, also known as "permanent resident aliens," usually intend to remain in the U.S., are authorized to work, and have basically the same rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens except for the right to vote and to hold a U.S. passport.

Non-immigrants

Some non-immigrants are noncitizens who seek entry to the U.S. for a specific purpose to be accomplished during a temporary stay (for example, students, businesspersons, tourists, and exchange visitors). Some may have written employment authorization. The nonimmigrant is granted a specific time period to remain in the U.S.

Refugees

A refugee is a person granted entry to the U.S. because of persecution or well-founded fear of persecution in their home country because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

Asylees

An asylee is a person already present in the U.S. (or at a land border or port of entry) who claims to be a refugee.

Parolees

A parolee is a noncitizen not otherwise admissible whom the government nevertheless permits to enter for humanitarian reasons or because they are of special interest to the U.S. government. Employment is permitted in most cases. Parolee status is covered by Section 212 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).

Cuban/Haitian Entrant

This is the status given to Cubans who entered the U.S. illegally between April 15, 1980, and October 10, 1980, and to Haitians who entered the U.S. illegally before January 1, 1981. This status is covered by Section 502(e) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).

Special Agricultural Worker (SAW)

A SAW is a noncitizen who has lived in the U.S. and performed agricultural labor for at least 90 person-days during the one-year period prior to May 1, 1986. This noncitizen may be granted temporary lawful resident noncitizen status. The SAW status is limited to the first 350,000 noncitizens who apply. This status is covered by Section 210(b)(6) of IRCA.

Eligible Legalized Alien (ELA)

An ELA is a noncitizen who has been granted lawful temporary resident status by INS for a limited period of time . This status is covered by Sections 210, 210A, and 245A of INA. It was granted to noncitizens residing illegally in the US since before January 1, 1972, as an act of amnesty. After 18 months of temporary resident status, an ELA has 24 months to apply for permanent resident status or face reverting to illegal noncitizen status. An ELA may remain in temporary resident status for a total of only 42 months. The ELA reverts to unlawful noncitizen status in the 43rd month.

ELAs are barred by IRCA from receiving TANF and other federally funded benefits for a five-year period beginning on their date of adjustment to temporary resident status, except for the aged, blind, or disabled, as defined by SSA.

Illegal Entrants

An illegal entrant is a person who has neither temporary nor permanent stay documents that have not expired.