Definition

A person who is not a permanent resident of a country and does not intend to stay there permanently, often visiting for a specific purpose such as work or study.

Example

As a nonimmigrant, she had to follow specific visa regulations during her stay in the country.

Conversation

I met a really interesting person from Canada yesterday.

Oh really? Is he a nonimmigrant or planning to move here permanently?

He's a nonimmigrant, just visiting for a few months.

That’s cool! It must be nice to learn about his culture.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Nonimmigrant → It is formed from "non-" (meaning not) and "immigrant" (from Latin "immigrare", meaning to move into). The word "nonimmigrant" refers to a person who is not moving into a new country to live permanently.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('non-') being used to describe someone who is 'moving into' ('immigrare') a new country — a nonimmigrant is someone who is not doing that.

Visually Confused Words