Common immigration terms for talent, work, and visitor visas — acronyms and concepts in plain language
Common Acronyms
USCIS — United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The federal agency that adjudicates immigration petitions and applications.
RFE — Request for Evidence. A notice from USCIS asking for additional documentation to support your petition.
NOID — Notice of Intent to Deny. A more serious notice indicating USCIS plans to deny the petition unless you provide compelling evidence.
I-129 — Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. The form used to petition for O-1A and O-1B visas.
I-140 — Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. The form used for EB-1A and EB-2 NIW green card petitions.
EAD — Employment Authorization Document. A work permit issued while a green card application is pending.
PERM — Program Electronic Review Management. The labor certification process required for most employment-based green cards (but waived for EB-1A and EB-2 NIW).
AAO — Administrative Appeals Office. The USCIS body that reviews denied petitions on appeal.
DOS — Department of State. Manages visa issuance at consulates abroad.
DS-160 — Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. The form most B-1/B-2 consular applicants complete before the interview.
214(b) — Immigration and Nationality Act section under which consular officers presume immigrant intent until the applicant shows they qualify as a temporary nonimmigrant visitor.
IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The Canadian federal department that processes visitor visas, Express Entry, and related applications.
TRV — Temporary Resident Visa. Canada’s visitor visa stamped in a passport (distinct from an eTA).
eTA — Electronic Travel Authorization. Online entry permission for visa-exempt travellers to Canada by air; not a substitute for a TRV when a visa is required.
GTE — Genuine Temporary Entrant. Australia’s requirement that subclass 600 (and related) applicants intend a genuine temporary stay.
CRS — Comprehensive Ranking System. Canada's Express Entry ranking score used to issue Invitations to Apply.
ECA — Educational Credential Assessment. An IRCC-designated evaluation of foreign education for Express Entry points.
NOC / TEER — National Occupational Classification and Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities categories used for Canadian skilled work.
ITA — Invitation to Apply. IRCC invitation to submit a permanent residence application from the Express Entry pool.
LMIA — Labour Market Impact Assessment. Canadian employer authorization often needed for arranged-employment points.
CLB — Canadian Language Benchmark. Scale used to convert language test scores into Express Entry points.
FWHIT — Fair Work High Income Threshold. Australian earnings benchmark relevant to subclass 858 income ability.
Visa Code — EU regulation ((EC) No 810/2009 as amended) governing Schengen short-stay (Type C) visas.
Key Concepts
Extraordinary ability — A level of expertise indicating that a person is one of the small percentage who have risen to the very top of their field of endeavor.
Sustained national or international acclaim — Ongoing recognition of achievements in the field, not a single moment of fame.
Preponderance of evidence — The standard of proof in immigration cases. The evidence must show that something is "more likely than not" true.
Totality of evidence — USCIS evaluates all evidence together, not each piece in isolation. A petition may succeed on the combined weight even if individual pieces are modest.
Final merits determination — The second step in evaluating O-1A and EB-1A petitions. Even after meeting the minimum criteria threshold, USCIS evaluates whether the overall evidence demonstrates extraordinary ability.
Comparable evidence — Alternative evidence submitted when the standard criteria don't readily apply to a beneficiary's occupation.
Labor certification — A process proving no qualified U.S. workers are available for a position. Waived for EB-1A (self-petition) and EB-2 NIW.
Beneficiary — The person who will receive the visa or immigration benefit.
Petitioner — The entity (employer or individual) filing the petition.
Advisory opinion — A letter from a peer group, labor organization, or management organization evaluating the beneficiary's abilities. Required for O-1 visas.
Nonimmigrant intent — Showing you will leave after a temporary stay (U.S. visitor context: overcoming the 214(b) presumption of immigrant intent).
Genuine visitor — UK Immigration Rules standard that the applicant will leave the UK at the end of their visit, will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, and meets funds and purpose requirements.
Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) — Australian assessment that the applicant genuinely intends a temporary stay consistent with the visa subclass.
90/180 rule — Schengen short-stay limit: no more than 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen Area.
Visa Categories
O-1A — Nonimmigrant (temporary) visa for extraordinary ability in sciences, education, business, or athletics.
O-1B — Nonimmigrant (temporary) visa for extraordinary ability in the arts, or extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry.
EB-1A — Employment-based first preference immigrant visa (green card) for extraordinary ability. Allows self-petition.
EB-2 NIW — Employment-based second preference immigrant visa with a National Interest Waiver. Evaluated under the Dhanasar framework.
UK-GTV — UK Global Talent visa. Endorsement-first route for leaders and potential leaders (e.g. digital technology via Tech Nation).
EU-BLUE — EU Blue Card. Residence/work permit for highly qualified third-country nationals based on job offer, salary, and qualifications.
CA-FSW — Canada Federal Skilled Worker under Express Entry. Points-based permanent residence pathway.
AU-858 — Australia subclass 858 (Global Talent / National Innovation Visa). Permanent residence for internationally recognised exceptional achievement.
B-1/B-2 — U.S. visitor visa for temporary business (B-1) and tourism / family / medical visits (B-2); often issued as a combined stamp.
UK-SV — UK Standard Visitor visa for tourism, family visits, and certain short business activities under the genuine visitor rules.
CA-TRV — Canada Temporary Resident Visa (visitor visa) for temporary stays; distinct from an eTA for visa-exempt travellers.
AU-600 — Australia subclass 600 visitor visa (commonly Tourist or Business Visitor streams), assessed under GTE.
EU-SCHENGEN — Schengen short-stay Type C visa for tourism, business, or family visits under the 90/180 rule, with mandatory travel medical insurance.
Evidentiary Terms
Strong evidence — Documentation that directly and convincingly satisfies a criterion. Typically includes objective metrics, third-party validation, and recognized institutional backing.
Weak evidence — Documentation that partially addresses a criterion but lacks specificity, recognition, or independent verification.
Criterion (plural: criteria) — One of the regulatory evidentiary requirements used to evaluate a visa petition (e.g., "awards," "membership," "judging").
Prong — Used specifically for EB-2 NIW, which uses a three-prong test (the Dhanasar framework) instead of the criteria system used by O-1A and EB-1A.