This year's March Visa Bulletin reveals advancements in the Final Action Dates of all employment-based categories except EB-3 India. Notably, the Final Action Date for EB-2 China advanced by five months from March 1, 2012 to August 1, 2012, and EB-3 China from October 1, 2012 to June 1, 2013. While only slight advancements are seen in the Final Action Dates of all family-sponsored categories except F1 Philippines, and F2B and F4 Mexico, which remained stagnant, USCIS information on family-sponsored cases that in March, family-sponsored applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart, rather than the Final Action Dates chart, to determine when to file an adjustment of status application.

USCIS Issued When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas: December 2015 to help readers determine if it is time to file their I-485 Application to Adjustment of Status to Lawful Permanent Resident (green card application). Earlier this year, the Department of State began issuing the monthly visa bulletin in a USCIS on new visa bulletin format with "Final Action Dates" and "Dates for Filing Applications."

The U.S. Department of State has issued the December 2015 Visa Bulletin. Of note:

Kathryn Karam Participates in “Doing Business in America” roundtable hosted by the Galleria Microsoft Retail Store. Kathryn talked about

Subscribe to Kathryn N. Karam PC's YouTube channel and check out our informational videos!

Department of Homeland Security director Jeh Johnson has issued a memo directing USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez to change the Immigration Service's prior regulations to allow all family members eligible to immigrate to the U.S. to be allowed to file provisional waivers of inadmissibility.

The U.S. Department of State has issued the December 2014 Visa Bulletin. Notable changes include:

USCIS announced today that it has issued a new policy clarifying the definition of mother for immigration purposes to include mothers and parents who used alternative reproductive technology to conceive.

The Supreme Court has granted certiorari in the case of Kerry v. Din, in which a U.S. Citizen wife had petitioned for her husband. When her husband went to his immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy is Islamabad, Pakistan, he was told he should receive his visa in two to six weeks. However, the Embassy ultimately sent a decision denying him the visa. The Embassy refused to provide specific reasons for the denial but indicated that it was due to terrorist activities. The Supreme Court held in 1972 that there is no constitutional right to obtain a visa. This case was brought in the 9th Circuit, where the is precedential case law distinguishing the denial of a visa where the denial affects a citizen's protected liberty interest in marriage.

Kathryn N. Karam was named in the Honorable Mention category of the Houston Business Journal 2014 40 Under 40 List.