U.S.A.'s interesting latest news

Application for T Nonimmigrant Status; Application for Immediate Family Member of T-1 Recipient; and Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Victim of Trafficking in Persons, Form I-914 and Supplements A and B

10/03/2018 12:00 AM EDT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: Application for T Nonimmigrant Status; Application for Immediate Family Member of T-1 Recipient; and Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Victim of Trafficking in Persons, Form I-914 and Supplements A and B

Application To Adjust Status From Temporary to Permanent Resident

10/03/2018 12:00 AM EDT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection; Application To Adjust Status From Temporary to Permanent Resident

H-2 Petitioner's Employment Related or Fee Related Notification

10/03/2018 12:00 AM EDT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: H-2 Petitioner's Employment Related or Fee Related Notification

For more information, please visit our USCIS Federal Register Announcements page.

October 1, 2018: We transferred some of the following cases from the California Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center:

• Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for petitioners requesting H-1B nonimmigrant classification

For more information, see our Workload Transfer Updates page.

USCIS has published a policy memorandum (PDF, 108 KB) providing guidance on the implementation of section 1045 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (the FY 2019 NDAA), which allows certain H-2B workers on Guam and in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to qualify for an exemption to the “temporary need” requirement if they begin employment on or before Dec. 30, 2023. USCIS is accepting H-2B petitions filed pursuant to the NDAA provision that exempts the temporary need requirement for certain health care workers on Guam and in the CNMI, as well as for workers directly connected to, or directly associated with, the planned military realignment of U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam. The FY 2019 NDAA also eliminated the annual cap of 4,000 H-2B workers for Guam and the CNMI that were permitted to use the temporary need exemption. The policy memorandum provides detailed information on how petitioners may demonstrate eligibility for the exemptions under the new law. Petitioners must continue to comply with other H-2B requirements including submission of an approved temporary labor certification issued by Guam’s Department of Labor or the U.S. Department of Labor, as appropriate. Employers on Guam and in the CNMI remain exempt from the national H-2B cap until Dec. 31, 2029. Additional general information about the H-2B program can be found on the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers page. On Oct. 1, USCIS began using digital tablets to administer the English reading and writing tests during naturalization interviews as part of the agency’s ongoing business modernization efforts. Although USCIS applicants already use digital tablets to sign or verify parts of their applications, this new approach expands tablet usage, allowing the device to be used for a greater portion of the application process. USCIS will be able to continue using the paper process on a case-by-case basis. While the eligibility requirements and the subject material of the naturalization test have not changed, applicants are now using a stylus on a digital tablet instead of a paper application. Immigration Services Officers (ISO) will carefully instruct applicants on how to use the tablets before administering the tests: For the reading test, a sentence will appear on the tablet and the ISO will ask the applicant to read it. For the writing test, several lines will appear on the tablet, replicating the appearance of a piece of blank paper. The ISO will read a sentence aloud and ask the applicant to write it on the tablet. Applicants will continue to take the civics test verbally, without the tablet.

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October 3, 2018     Thanks everyone who worked hard all year to close out FY18! Fabulous and Free! FAI has a fabulous array of free FAC-C, FAC-COR, and FAC-P/PM training available now to the Federal workforce. There is no tuition cost charged to students or their agencies for this training. Review the schedule and enroll in these classes through FAITAS as soon as you can. Seats will fill quickly. Learn-Collaborate-Practice-Lead: The Interior Acquisition Institute’s Acquisition Leadership Development Program  The Interior Acquisition Institute (IAI) is offering the FPM 525: Acquisition Leadership Development Program with cohort launch on October 23, 2018. Join us for this dynamic program providing training in critical thinking and leadership skills to manage major programs. To respond to the strong interest in participating in this program, we have extended the 10/5/18 registration deadline.  Visit here for more info. and register in FAITAS.   Want to Help Your Organization? Join us in a virtual conference as we celebrate the launch of Acquisition Open Opportunities! The “Acquisition Open Opportunities Summit: Endless Possibilities” will be kicked off by Lesley A. Field, Deputy Administrator, OFPP on Thursday, October 11, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.  During this virtual conference, you will hear success stories from Acquisition Open Opportunities participants. Sign up to learn how this platform can help your organization! “See” you there! (For more information on Open Opportunities, visit here.) Need Samples? Check the Gateway!  Need a sample statement of work? Check out eBuy Open on the Gateway! Find over 340,000 RFIs/RFQs with examples of product and service buys from across all government agencies.   Welcome to the future of DAU's Virtual Campus DAU’s new virtual campus is LIVE!  Students are encouraged to quickly complete online training enrolled in prior to September 23 in the legacy system (ATLAS Pro).  You will have 60 days to do so.   All new enrollments will be made in the new DAU virtual campus (Cornerstone OnDemand).  Learn more from DAU.  And review FAI’s FAQs about DAU’s new virtual campus.  Please refer to www.fai.gov for updates regarding availability! Subcontracting Reports Due October 30th Reminder for contracting officers! In accordance with FAR clause 52.219-9, contractors must file subcontracting reports in the (electronic Subcontracting Reporting System eSRS no later than October 30, 2018 for the twelve month period ending September 30, 2018. Anti-scammy Sammy By Lesley Fair There’s former Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar, NFL legend Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, and the incomparable Sammy Davis, Jr. All notable in their own right, but did they win back $586 million for defrauded consumers? We didn’t think so. That’s why we have another pick for the Sammy Hall of Fame. Read more > Facebook breach: what to do next by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer and Business Education Facebook recently announced the largest breach in the company’s history. The breach affected about 50 million users, allowing hackers to take over their accounts. If you use Facebook, you may be wondering what to do next. Here are a few steps you can take. Read more > New Credit Law FAQs by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education You’ve heard about the new law that makes credit freezes free and fraud alerts last one year. If you have questions, you’re not alone. Here are answers to some of the questions we’re hearing most. Read more >