Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC

When you enter the United States by going around a checkpoint, you are generally entering without inspection (EWI). EWI and “illegally” do NOT mean the same thing. It is important to note that if you enter without inspection but encounter a border officer later, it does not change your EWI status.

Consular processing is the process by which anyone outside of the United States, and those already in the US who are ineligible to process their application within this country, apply for permanent residency. When going through this process, a relative or employer can file a petition on your behalf that will then be processed through the US consulate in your home country. If eligible, you will receive an immigrant visa. Once you enter the country with that visa, you will become a permanent resident of the United States.

The term “adjustment to status” is often used within the immigration world. This means exactly how it sounds; one is adjusting their status within the United States. When someone begins and finishes applying for a green card while in the United States, they are adjusting their status from temporary to permanent resident. For those who have begun the process but must complete it outside of the US, we use the term “consular processing.”