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Are you thinking of breaking into the federal government contracting marketplace? The U.S. government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world. Connect with SBA resources to help you along the way.  Learn more  Get Inspired: Small Business Success Story Charles Underwood started C & R Movers in 2014 in his home at the young age of 19 with not much more than a desire to own his own moving business. Within months, he sought the help of the local Small Business Development Center and received 8(a) certification that helped C & R grow from one to 11 employees and net annual sales of nearly a quarter of a million dollars.  Read Charles' story Outdo Your Competition by Optimizing Your Online Search Listing July 19, 2018 | 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT Today, four in five consumers use search engines to find information about local businesses. However, local online marketing is getting more and more competitive. Standing out is a challenge, but it is possible if you work at it. During this webinar produced by SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, you will learn: The top online directories/citation sites you should get your business listed on What’s NAP and why it’s important What pictures you should add to your listing and who else can add them Why frequently logging into your listing is crucial and how it can prevent business from being lost to your competition How long videos should be and what formats to upload Other local SEO strategies that your competitors probably aren’t using Register here Business Opportunities: A Guide to Winning Federal Contracts Launch SBA's self‐paced training program for an overview of federal contract procedures and learn how to sell to the government. Launch the course News: July 6, 2018   More Jobs in June 3.7 million American jobs have now been created since November 2016 – including 876,000 jobs in goods-producing industries, and 213,000 new jobs in June. The June unemployment rate moved up to 4.0%, as 601,000 Americans entered the labor force.   Building Skills in Alaska U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta visited Alaska to meet with students, workers, job creators, labor leaders, and state officials to discuss ways to ensure all Americans have the skills they need for good, family-sustaining jobs. In stops with U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, he got a firsthand look at skills-based workforce education programs in the state.   More Jobs and Opportunity Secretary Acosta joined President Trump at the White House on June 29 to celebrate the six-month anniversary of the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and to highlight how the law is helping American workers and job creators. Since it was signed into law, 1.3 million new jobs have been created.   DOL Working For You Learning In-Demand EMT Skills A unique, five-month intensive emergency medical technician apprenticeship program in Los Angeles County has prepared Jason Jones for a new career in healthcare. -------------------------------------------- USCIS will conduct system maintenance on Sunday, July 8, 2018, from 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. (Eastern). During this time, our online tools may be unavailable, including: Check My Case Status e-Request Change of Address Online Check Processing Times Civil Surgeon Locator FOIA Status Check Office Locator Forms by Mail We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued updated guidance (PDF, 139 KB) today that aligns its policy for issuing Form I-862, Notice to Appear, with the immigration enforcement priorities of the Department of Homeland Security. A Notice to Appear (NTA) is a document given to an alien that instructs them to appear before an immigration judge on a certain date. The issuance of an NTA commences removal proceedings against the alien. Under the new guidance, USCIS officers will now issue an NTA for a wider range of cases where the individual is removable and there is evidence of fraud, criminal activity, or where an applicant is denied an immigration benefit and is unlawfully present in the United States. “For too long, USCIS officers uncovering instances of fraudulent or criminal activity have been limited in their ability to help ensure U.S. immigration laws are faithfully executed. This updated policy equips USCIS officers with clear guidance they need and deserve to support the enforcement priorities established by the president, keep our communities safe, and protect the integrity of our immigration system from those seeking to exploit it,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and requestors are exempted from this updated guidance when: (1) processing an initial or renewal DACA request or DACA-related benefit request; or (2) processing a DACA recipient for possible termination of DACA. As explained in the concurrently issued DACA-specific guidance, USCIS will continue to apply the 2011 NTA guidance (PDF, 77 KB) to these cases. USCIS will also continue to follow the existing DACA information-sharing policy regarding any information provided by a DACA requestor in a DACA request or DACA-related benefit request. USCIS, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has legal authority under current immigration laws to issue NTAs. This Policy Memorandum updates the guidelines USCIS officers use to determine when to refer a case to ICE or to issue an NTA. The revised policy generally requires USCIS to issue an NTA in the following categories of cases in which the individual is removable: Cases where fraud or misrepresentation is substantiated, and/or where an applicant abused any program related to the receipt of public benefits. USCIS will issue an NTA even if the case is denied for reasons other than fraud. Criminal cases where an applicant is convicted of or charged with a criminal offense, or has committed acts that are chargeable as a criminal offense, even if the criminal conduct was not the basis for the denial or the ground of removability. USCIS may refer cases involving serious criminal activity to ICE before adjudication of an immigration benefit request pending before USCIS without issuing an NTA. Cases in which USCIS denies a Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, on good moral character grounds because of a criminal offense. Cases in which, upon the denial of an application or petition, an applicant is unlawfully present in the United States. The revised policy does not change the USCIS policy for issuing an NTA in the following categories: Cases involving national security concerns; Cases where issuing an NTA is required by statute or regulation; Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cases, except where, after applying TPS regulatory provisions, a TPS denial or withdrawal results in an individual having no other lawful immigration status; DACA recipients and requestors when: (1) processing an initial or renewal DACA request or DACA-related benefit request; or (2) processing a DACA recipient for possible termination of DACA. Under separate policy guidance (PDF, 77 KB) issued concurrently, USCIS officers will continue to apply PM 602-0050, Revised Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (PDF, 77 KB) (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Removable Aliens, dated November 7, 2011, to the issuance of NTAs and Referrals to ICE for DACA recipients and requestors. Interim and final policy memos are official USCIS policy documents and are effective the date the memos are issued. For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and Instagram (@USCIS). "Doing Business in the State of West Bengal" Webinar Join the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Government of West Bengal for a free webinar on doing business in the State of West Bengal.   Event:  "Doing Business in the State of West Bengal" Webinar Date:  July 11, 2018 Time:  9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EDT Cost: There is no cost to view this webinar. Description of Event:     In this webinar you will be able to learn the following:  Learn why West Bengal is an attractive market for international businesses across a broad range of industries, including ICT, agriculture, energy, and healthcare. West Bengal is India’s sixth largest economy and stands 7th among Indian states based on its ease of doing business and implementation of reforms. Gain independent, expert insight about West Bengal’s business climate and economic development priorities; Learn from the experiences of a U.S. company that is active in the West Bengal market; Take advantage of the Q&A session to raise your business and investment-focused inquiries with the state representatives of West Bengal. The webinar will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service and SelectUSA, and the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and Invest India. The webinar will include speakers from the Government of West Bengal, the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. For more information, please contact Megan Hyndman at Megan.Hyndman@trade.gov Contract Specialist Open 07/03/2018 to 07/12/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: Multiple Locations Director, Telecommunications Services Open 07/02/2018 to 07/23/2018 Department: Federal Acquisition Service Job Location: Washington DC, District of Columbia Property Disposal Specialist Open 07/06/2018 to 07/19/2018 Department: Federal Acquisition Service Job Location: San Francisco, California Construction Analyst Open 07/09/2018 to 07/23/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: New York, New York IT Specialist Open 07/06/2018 to 07/19/2018 Department: Office of the Chief Information Officer Job Location: Washington DC, District of Columbia Construction Analyst Open 07/09/2018 to 07/23/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: New York, New York Construction Analyst Open 07/09/2018 to 07/23/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: New York, New York Chief of Staff Open 07/06/2018 to 07/16/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Director, Telecommunications Services Open 07/02/2018 to 07/23/2018 Department: Federal Acquisition Service Job Location: Washington DC, District of Columbia Senior Criminal Investigative Analyst Open 07/05/2018 to 07/11/2018 Department: Office of Inspector General Job Location: District of Columbia, District of Columbia IT Specialist Open 07/06/2018 to 07/19/2018 Department: Office of the Chief Information Officer Job Location: Washington DC, District of Columbia Lead Equipment Specialist Open 07/05/2018 to 07/16/2018 Department: Federal Acquisition Service Job Location: Lompoc, California Building Management Specialist Open 07/09/2018 to 07/17/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: San Jose, California Project Manager Open 07/09/2018 to 07/17/2018 Department: Public Buildings Service Job Location: San Francisco, California Property Disposal Specialist Open 07/06/2018 to 07/19/2018 Department: Federal Acquisition Service Job Location: San Francisco, California Property Disposal Specialist Open 07/06/2018 to 07/19/2018 Department: Federal Acquisition Service Job Location: San Francisco, California