Section 245(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that the status of a foreign national who was inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States may be adjusted to that of a lawful permanent resident if:

1. the foreign national makes an application for such adjustment,
2. the foreign national is eligible to receive an immigrant visa and is admissible to the United States for permanent residence, and
3. an immigrant visa is immediately available to him/her at the time the application is filed.

245(a) is especially useful for immediate relatives (spouses, children or parents of U.S. Citizens) because it allows them to apply for permanent residency without leaving the U.S. through a process called “adjustment of status.”