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The Different Types of

Immigration Statuses

An immigration status is essentially the TYPE of presence the individual has within the country. Everyone has a status. Even those with no valid status have the status of being “undocumented” after all. Please note that this is a VERY generalized list and each individual's situation is different. If you need immigration help, or immigration advice, speak with a qualified immigration attorney!

 

Broadly speaking, there are FOUR types of statuses in the United States for any individual: U.S. Citizen, Conditional Permanent Resident & Permanent Resident, Non-Immigrant, and finally undocumented.

[Source for the overview of statuses]

NONE OF THIS IS LEGAL ADVICE. SPEAK WITH AN EXPERIENCED IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY IF YOU NEED LEGAL ADVICE.

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U.S. Citizens

There are only a few methods through which U.S. Citizenship may be acquired: Birth, naturalization, and derivation.

Permanant Resident

There are essentially TWO kinds of permanent residents: Conditional, and unconditional.

 

A conditional card CAN NOT be renewed.

 

An unconditional card can be renewed indefinitely so long as the immigrant meets all necessary requirements and does not violate the terms of residency.

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Image by Dennis Rochel

Non-Immigrant Status

These are usually visa holders (Student Visa, Travel Visa etc.)

Undocumented

These are individuals who either overstayed their visas, had their visas revoked while inside the United States, or entered the country without any kind of inspection at a port of entry.

At the risk of stating the obvious, this is the category that is collectively referred to as "illegal" immigrants.

Image by Maria Oswalt
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