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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 15

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 3 Chapter 15 Noncitizens, Refugees, and Citizenship

DOCUMENT NONCITIZEN A noncitizen in the U.S. who is in possession of valid documents. See Section 15.2.3 for examples of valid documents. ELIGIBLE LEGALIZED ALIEN (ELA) A noncitizen who has been granted lawful temporary resident status under Section 245A or Section 210 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 and who may apply for permanent resident noncitizen status. ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) OR ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL) The use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. FAMILY UNIT Provides protection from deportation and eligibility for employment authorization to the spouses and children of noncitizens who were legalized under the IRCA. GREEN CARD A slang term describing the Permanent Resident Card (Form I-151 or Form I-551). Many versions of these forms are not green in color. ILLEGAL NONCITIZEN A foreign national who either entered the U.S. without inspection, entered with fraudulent documentation, or who, after entering legally as a nonimmigrant, violated status and remained in the U.S. without authorization. See the definition for undocumented noncitizen, which is one type of illegal noncitizen. IMMIGRANT A noncitizen who has been lawfully afforded the privilege of residing permanently in the U.S. with the right to eventually obtain citizenship. This status allows authorization for work and entitlement benefits. See the definitions for lawful permanent resident noncitizen and permanent resident noncitizen, which are terms used interchangeably with immigrant. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE (INS) The federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security that administers immigration law. IMMIGRATION STATUS The legal status conferred on a noncitizen by immigration laws.