Changing Legal Status- High School

These terms govern the administrative processes through which an individual shifts from one legal classification to another.

• Adjustment of Status / 245(a): The administrative procedure that allows an eligible non-citizen already physically present in the United States to upgrade their status to lawful permanent residency. Section 245(a) of the INA (Immigration Nationality Act) dictates that this generally requires the applicant to have entered the country via a lawful admission or parole.

• 245(i): An older, highly specific statutory provision that allows certain undocumented individuals who entered without inspection or violated their status to adjust their status inside the U.S. anyway by paying a $1,000 fine, provided their initial underlying petition was filed before a specific historical cutoff date (April 30, 2001).

• Advance parole: A discretionary travel document that grants a non-citizen with a pending immigration application permission to travel abroad and return to a U.S. Port of Entry without abandoning or invalidating their ongoing case.

• Immigration interview: A mandatory, in-person examination conducted by a USCIS officer. The officer questions the applicant under oath to verify the truth of the documentation, ensure no fraud is occurring, and confirm eligibility for the requested benefit.