Anybody who enters the US illegally is barred from filing an application for an adjustment of status under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). People who entered the US illegally are sometimes referred to in immigration terminology as EWI or EWIS, i.e. people who Entered the United States Without Inspection.

Normally, the INA bars EWIs from adjusting status in the US. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, such as:

• filing under Section 245(i) of the INA
• filing under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
• applying to the immigration court for Cancellation of Removal
• applying for asylum; and
• certain other limited grounds.