These FAQs are the product of an unusual project: working through the Immigration and Nationality Act — the statute that governs all of U.S. immigration law — and turning what it covers into plain-language questions and answers for clients. Where the Act is brief, the answers draw on the federal regulations, the USCIS Policy Manual, and controlling case law, each checked against the current text before it was written down. Attorney-reviewed, cited, and organized by topic.
Browse by topic
Immigration basics: definitions, admission & status — who counts as an “alien,” what “admission” means, immigrant vs. nonimmigrant, how status works.
Green card categories, quotas & key definitions — immediate relatives, the preference lines, priority dates, per-country caps, good moral character, aggravated felonies.
Family-based immigration — coming soon.
Employment-based immigration — coming soon.
Humanitarian protection: asylum, refugees, U and T visas, VAWA — coming soon.
Citizenship & naturalization — coming soon.
Removal, detention & appeals — coming soon.
Inadmissibility & waivers — coming soon.
Have a question these pages do not answer? Ask it here or book a consultation.
These FAQs are general information, not legal advice, and do not create an attorney-client relationship.