Glossary
26. Spousal Support
Formerly known as "alimony," payments that provide for the support and maintenance of a former spouse, as well as, for the equalization of income. Depending on the financial circumstances of the parties, the court may order the husband or the wife to pay Spousal Support to the other.
27. USCIS
An agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for ruling on immigration and naturalization matters and establishing immigration policies and priorities. USCIS was formerly called the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and was part of the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 1, 2003, INS transitioned into DHS. Thus, INS no longer exists. USCIS functions include adjudication of immigrant visa petitions, adjudication of naturalization petitions, adjudication of asylum and refugee applications, adjudications performed at the service centers, and all other adjudications formerly performed by the INS.
28. VAWA
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 HR 3355 and signed as Public Law 103-322 by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. It provided $1.6 billion to enhance investigation and prosecution of the violent crime perpetrated against women, increased pre-trial detention of the accused, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted.
29. visa
A visa or travel visa is a document which gives someone permission to travel into a specific country and stay there for a set period of time. Visas may be stamped or glued directly into a passport for convenience, or they may be issued separately, in the form of documents which must be carefully protected to ensure that they are not lost or stolen. Some nations require everyone who enters to get a visa, while others have what are known as reciprocal agreements with certain nations which waive visa requirements. It is important to research visa requirements before traveling internationally, as in some cases travelers must apply for a visa before they attempt to cross a border.
30. waiting period
The five month waiting period simply means that SSA, or the social security administration, will withhold five months of an approved claimant's benefits.
