Here are a few words you'll want to know the exact meaning of when talking about immigration:

Immigrant

A person who leaves one country to make their home in another. Check out a couple of famous examples:

Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor and politician; Austria)

Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google; Russia)

Pamela Anderson (actress; Canada)

Naturalization

The process of an immigrant becoming a citizen of another country. Here are some of the requirements for becoming a naturalized citizen in the U.S.:

* a period of continuous residence in the U.S.
* good moral character
* a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government
* the ability to read, write, and speak English

Citizen

Any person--native-born, foreign-born, or naturalized—who has certain rights or duties under a government and is entitled to that government’s protection.

Alien (also called noncitizen)

Any person who is not a citizen of the country in which he or she lives. There are two types of aliens:

• Resident Alien: a foreign-born person who has not yet established residency in the country they are living in, but is legally there and has the intention of becoming a citizen.
• Non-Resident Alien: a foreign-born person who has illegally entered another country (someone who crosses the border without going through inspection, for example) or is staying there over the period of time allowed.

Refugee

A person who seeks protection, or asylum, in a country because they fear persecution (based on race, religion, political views, etc.) from their home country.

Asylum

A form of protection that allows people to remain in a country other than their own, eventually so that they can become legal permanent residents.

Green Card

Documentation that gives a foreign-born person official immigration status in the United States. Sometimes called LPR (Lawful Permanent Residency).

You can learn more about U.S. immigration policies at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, click here to visit