AUGUST 17, 2026

Legal English Vocabulary: Key Terms in Immigration Law
This week Ingleslegal focuses on immigration law, one of the most high-demand practice areas for bilingual legal professionals serving Latin American clients in the United States. These ten terms appear constantly in petitions, hearings, and client consultations, and getting them right in both languages is essential for accurate case preparation.
1. Visa
Meaning: An official document or stamp that permits a foreign national to enter, remain in, or seek entry to a country for a specific purpose and period of time.
Equivalent English expressions: Entry visa, nonimmigrant visa, immigrant visa
Spanish equivalent: Visa / Visado
Law branches: Immigration Law, International Law
Example: "Her visa allowed her to work in the United States for up to three years."
2. Green Card
Meaning: The common name for the Permanent Resident Card, which proves a person's status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
Equivalent English expressions: Lawful Permanent Resident Card, LPR status
Spanish equivalent: Tarjeta de residencia permanente / Green card
Law branches: Immigration Law
Example: "After three years of marriage, she was eligible to apply for her green card without conditions."
3. Asylum
Meaning: Protection granted to a foreign national who is already in the United States and fears persecution in their home country based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or social group.
Equivalent English expressions: Political asylum, refugee protection
Spanish equivalent: Asilo político
Law branches: Immigration Law, International Human Rights Law
Example: "He applied for asylum after fleeing political persecution in his home country."
4. Deportation
Meaning: The formal removal of a foreign national from the United States for violating immigration law, now officially referred to as "removal."
Equivalent English expressions: Removal, removal proceedings
Spanish equivalent: Deportación / Expulsión
Law branches: Immigration Law
Example: "The attorney fought to prevent her client's deportation by filing a motion to reopen the case."
5. Naturalization
Meaning: The legal process by which a lawful permanent resident becomes a United States citizen, typically after meeting residency and examination requirements.
Equivalent English expressions: Citizenship process, naturalization process
Spanish equivalent: Naturalización
Law branches: Immigration Law, Constitutional Law
Example: "He completed the naturalization interview and took the Oath of Allegiance six months later."
6. Petitioner
Meaning: The person who formally requests an immigration benefit on behalf of another, such as a US citizen filing for a family member.
Equivalent English expressions: Sponsor, filer
Spanish equivalent: Peticionario / Solicitante
Law branches: Immigration Law
Example: "As the petitioner, she had to prove sufficient income to sponsor her husband."
7. Adjustment of Status
Meaning: The process that allows an eligible person already in the United States to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country.
Equivalent English expressions: Status adjustment, AOS
Spanish equivalent: Ajuste de estatus
Law branches: Immigration Law
Example: "Because he entered legally, he qualified for adjustment of status instead of consular processing."
8. Work Permit
Meaning: A document, formally called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), that allows a noncitizen to legally work in the United States.
Equivalent English expressions: Employment Authorization Document, EAD
Spanish equivalent: Permiso de trabajo
Law branches: Immigration Law, Labor Law
Example: "Her work permit was approved within ninety days of filing the application."
9. Waiver of Inadmissibility
Meaning: A legal mechanism that allows a noncitizen who would otherwise be barred from entry or a visa to be forgiven for certain grounds of inadmissibility.
Equivalent English expressions: Inadmissibility waiver, hardship waiver
Spanish equivalent: Perdón por inadmisibilidad / Dispensa de inadmisibilidad
Law branches: Immigration Law
Example: "His attorney filed a waiver of inadmissibility based on extreme hardship to his US citizen spouse."
10. Affidavit of Support
Meaning: A legally binding document in which a sponsor promises to financially support an immigrant and reimburse the government for certain benefits the immigrant may use.
Equivalent English expressions: Form I-864, sponsor's affidavit
Spanish equivalent: Declaración jurada de patrocinio económico
Law branches: Immigration Law, Contract Law
Example: "The petitioner signed an affidavit of support guaranteeing his income would cover his wife's expenses."
Immigration terminology changes quickly alongside policy, but these ten foundational terms will serve you in almost any case file you encounter. See you next week for another installment of Ingleslegal's vocabulary series.

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