IMMIGRATION TERMS:

Affidavit of Support form I-864.

If you are bringing a relative to live permanently in the U.S. you must accept legal responsibility for financially supporting this family. You accept this responsibility and become your relative's Sponsor by completing and signing a document called an "affidavit of support". The I-864 Affidavit of Support is a contract between a sponsor and the applicant. The following applicants for immigrant visas need an I-864:
Most applicants in family based immigrant visa categories.
Orphans to be adopted in the U.S.
Applicants for employment based visas whose relative filed the immigrant visa petition or whose relative has a five percent or grater ownership interest in the business that filed the petition.
 
The following applicants for family immigrant visas do not need an I-864.
Biological (natural born) children of American citizens (IR-2) who will enter the U.S. under the age of eighteen and will automatically acquire American Citizenship.
 
Orphans adopted by an American Citizen abroad (IR-3) with a full and final adoption.
 
Self-petitioning widows or widowers of American Citizens (IW category)
 
Immigrants who have already worked or can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work as defined in title II of the Social Security Act.

REFUGEE
Any person who is outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution must be based on the alien's race, religion,nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

Cancellation of Removal
A discretionary benefit adjusting an alien's status from that of deportable alien to one lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Application for cancellation of removal is made during the course of a hearing before an immigrating judge.

Registry Date-Aliens
who have continuously resided in the United States since January 1, 1972, are of good moral character and are not inadmissible, are eligible to adjust to legal permanent resident status under the registry provision.

VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE
The departure of an alien from the United States without an order of removal. The departure may or may not have been preceded by a hearing before an immigration judge. An alien allowed to voluntarily depart concedes resolvability but does not have a bar to seeking admission at a port of entry at any time. Failure to depart within the time granted results in a fine and a ten year bar to several forms of relief from deportation.