You may be wondering, can I apply for a marriage-based green card in the US? If a person who is not a citizen or a lawful permanent resident marries a citizen, he or she has the same legal status as before. However, that person then becomes eligible to immediately seek to become a lawful permanent resident. As a permanent resident, that person will have most of the rights and privileges of a U.S. citizen, and will be eligible for naturalization after five years.

Immigration Lawyer in Houston:

Unraveling 30 Years of Immigration History

In almost nine years of practicing immigration law, I have had the opportunity to handle many challenging and difficult cases. Some cases are challenging simply because the facts make it difficult to know what outcome we can expect, while others are challenging because the present situations not directly addressed in our immigration laws. And then there are people who have been in the U.S. for 20 or 30 years without a resolution in their case.

Immigration Lawyer in Houston: Travel Issues for Permanent Residents.

Here’s a surprising-but-true fact about Green Cards and U.S. immigration: Having a Green Card does not mean you will be allowed to board a plane to return to the U.S., and if you are allowed to board a plane to return to the U.S., the Green Card does not stop you from being detained or questioned when you return to the United States after international travel.

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.

Kathryn talked to the number one Oil & Gas podcast about immigration law. If you are an Oil & Gas professional currently working and trying to get into the US, or if you are concerned about layoffs and your immigration status, or perhaps you are a graduating student with questions about immigration, this is the podcast for you! ‪

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 Department of State has released the August 2015 Visa Bulletin, and EB-3 Rest of World has advanced to July 15, 2015.

On Friday, House Republicans introduced legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security but stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program implemented in 2012, and the new executive actions announced by President Obama in November 2014, including the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program. The legislation is not expected to pass the Senate and is intended to be a symbolic gesture to show how far Republicans are willing to go to contest actions taken by President Obama, according to the New York Times.

USCIS has posted a page outlining of some of the Executive Announcements announced by President Obama on November 20, 2014.

On Veterans Day, I am thankful to all of our Veterans for their service to our country. In particular, I remember my experience representing a Desert Storm Veteran a few years ago. He had been a permanent resident for many years. He had also been convicted of possession of cocaine in 1986. He had turned his life around, and he served our country for many years with very good reviews from his supervising officers. He was honorably discharged when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Over 20 years after his conviction, when he applied to renew his greencard, he received a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court for a controlled substance conviction. We successfully persuaded the government to terminate his removal case and applied for citizenship under military naturalization provisions. He became a United States citizen just before Christmas in 2011, and it was one of the most rewarding cases I have been involved in. He was thanked for his service to our country at the conclusion of his naturalization interview and the Immigration Service noted that they would make a special announcement about him at his oath ceremony.