Glossary
Visa & immigration glossary
The confusing terms that show up on application forms and in interviews, defined in plain English.
- Affidavit of Support (Form I-864)A legally binding contract a US sponsor signs promising to financially support a family-based immigrant so they don't become a public charge. Required for most family-sponsored and some employment-based green card applicants, the sponsor must generally show household income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size (100% if the sponsor is active-duty military sponsoring a spouse or child) — for 2026, that's roughly $27,050 for a household of two and $34,150 for a household of three in the contiguous US, rising with each extra person. If the sponsor's income falls short, they can add assets, a household member's income via Form I-864A, or bring in a joint sponsor who separately meets the threshold. The obligation lasts until the immigrant becomes a US citizen, is credited with 40 quarters of work, leaves the US permanently, or dies.
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) / eVisaThe UK's old physical ID card proving immigration status. The Home Office stopped issuing new BRPs as it moved to digital-only eVisas, and by 25 February 2026 most successful applicants across all visa categories — including visitors — receive an online status record instead of a card. An expired BRP can still be used for limited purposes (setting up a UKVI account, extending or updating status) until 24 months after its printed expiry date or 31 December 2026, whichever comes first — but not for right-to-work, right-to-rent, or EU Settlement Scheme checks. Status is now proven through the free UKVI 'View and Prove' service, which generates a 16-character share code valid for 90 days.
- BiometricsYour fingerprints and a photograph, collected at a visa application centre as part of many applications. Once given, biometrics are often reusable for a set number of years.
- Blocked AccountA special bank account, common for German student visas, holding roughly one year of living costs that you can only draw down in monthly amounts after arrival.
- CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)A unique reference number issued by a licensed UK education sponsor confirming your place on a course. It is required to apply for a UK Student visa.
- Dual IntentA concept allowing certain visa holders to pursue permanent residency while holding a temporary visa. Some categories permit dual intent; most visitor and student visas do not.
- Form I-20The Certificate of Eligibility issued by a US SEVP-approved school, certifying you are admitted and have shown the funds to study. It underpins the F-1 student visa application.
- Genuine Student (GS) RequirementThe test Australian visa officers use to assess a Student visa (subclass 500) application, in force for applications lodged from 23 March 2024 onward. It replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement, which centred on proving you intended to leave Australia after your studies. GS instead asks targeted questions — capped at 150 words each — about your current circumstances, why you chose your course and Australia, and how the course fits your study and career plans, and it explicitly acknowledges that using legitimate post-study or migration pathways afterward does not count against you. Weak or generic answers to the GS questions, not just weak financial or ties evidence, are now a leading cause of student visa refusals.
- OverstayRemaining in a country beyond the date your visa or entry stamp permits. Even short overstays can trigger bans and make future applications far harder.
- Port of EntryThe airport, land border or seaport where a border officer decides whether to admit you. A visa lets you travel to the port of entry; the officer there grants the actual admission.
- Proof of FundsDocumentary evidence that you can pay for your trip or studies and your living costs, usually shown through bank statements, sponsorship letters or instruments like a GIC. The amount and the holding period are often specified by the visa.
- Section 214(b)The provision of US law under which every nonimmigrant visa applicant is presumed to intend to immigrate until they prove otherwise. Overcoming 214(b) means demonstrating strong ties to your home country.
- SEVISThe Student and Exchange Visitor Information System that tracks F, M and J visa holders in the US. Applicants pay a SEVIS fee before their visa interview.
- SponsorA person or organisation that takes financial or legal responsibility for an applicant — a relative funding a trip, an employer offering a job, or an institution issuing study documents.
- Ties to Home CountryThe personal, economic and social connections — a job, property, dependents, a business — that give an officer confidence you will return home after a temporary visa. Weak ties are the most common reason short-stay visas are refused.
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