Glossary

Common terms and abbreviations used on Visa Journey (alphabetical)

• AOS - Adjustment of Status. A process that allows someone to change their non-immigrant status to an immigrant one. See AOS

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• AOS - Affidavit of Support. A document that is supplied to show the visa applicant has sufficient financial support from a sponsor (I-864 form).
• AP - Administrative Processing (sometimes also referred to as Additional Processing). A state during visa processing involving additional paperwork/background checks etc. that can take anywhere from hours to months.

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• AP - Advanced Parole. A document a person can apply for who is currently in the process of Adjusting Status that allows them to leave the USA without abandoning their application. See Application for Travel Document
• CSC - California Service Center
• DCF - Direct Consular Filing. Filing both a petition and visa application at a local non-USA consular office, bypassing the need to send a petition to the USA. See DCF
• EAD - Employment Authorization Document. A document a person can apply for who is currently in the process of Adjusting Status that allows them to legally work in the USA. See Employment Authorization Document
• ESTA - Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. Required for those travelling under the VWP program. See ESTA information
• GC - Green card. A card that shows the status of a legal permanent resident in the USA.
• LPR - Legal Permanent Resident. An immigrant in the USA who is able to legally reside.
• NOA1 / NOA2 - Notice of Action. Letters that inform the applicant of the progress of their application, denials, approvals etc. See Notice_of_Action_(NOA)
• NBC - Nebraska Service Center
• NVC - National Visa Center
• POE - Point of Entry. The location that you arrive into the country via and are admitted entry. This is usually an airport, land-crossing point, or port.
• RFE / RFI - Request for Further Evidence / Information. During the application process, you may be asked for additional/missing documentation, and you will be notified of this via an RFE / RFI letter.
• ROC - Removal of Conditions. Those with 2 year conditional green cards will need to remove conditions on their permanent residency to receive their 10 year green card. See ROC guide
• Timeline - A VJ feature that allows users to create a timeline to track their progress and compare with others. See Create a timeline
• TXC - Texas Service Center
• VSC - Vermont Service Center
• VWP - Visa Waiver Program. A program that allows those from certain countries to make visits to the USA without applying for a visa. See Visa Waiver Program (VWP)