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Statistics in Schools Week: March 2-6 Join the movement to make sure every child is counted in the 2020 Census by taking part in Statistics in Schools Week: Everyone Counts! March 2-6. This week-long series of activities aims to educate students about the importance of the once-a-decade count. Help promote SIS Week as we work to unite educators across the country to make sure everyone is counted. Learn More Less Than One Month Until U.S. Households Receive 2020 Census Invitations Between March 12-20, invitations to participate in the 2020 Census will start arriving at households across the country. The invitation will include instructions on how to respond online or by phone. In areas of the country less likely to respond online, a paper questionnaire will be included in the initial mailing. Reminder mailings will be sent to households that do not respond, and in the fourth mailing, every household that has not yet responded will receive a paper questionnaire. Learn More New Video Guide to Completing the 2020 Census Online Watch this video for an introduction to the 2020 Census, a quick overview of the online questionnaire, and help answering the questions. To support a complete count of everyone, the Census Bureau will also provide video language guides, print language guides, and language glossaries in 59 languages other than English, including American Sign Language, Braille, and large print. Watch Looking for 2020 Census resources?  Find answers to 2020 Census frequently asked questions.   New Resources to Help You Promote the 2020 Census Winter 2020 Partnership Social Media Guide Handout on Programs Influenced by Census Bureau Data Faith Communities 2020 Census Action Guide Fact Sheet for Group Housing Trust & Safety One-Pager Counting All Military Service Members and Their Families A full 2020 Census count of military service members and their families is important to their communities. Most military households are responsible for responding to the census on their own if they are stationed or living in the United States. Learn more about how to count members of the military. Recent Releases & Events Ambitious 2020 Census Community Partner Goal Reached Ahead of Schedule Census Highlights Efforts to Count Every Child in the 2020 Census 2020 Census Student Activities Mailed to Every School Across the Nation 2020 Census Advertising Campaign Expands to Reach All Audiences Faith Leaders Join Together for Accurate 2020 Census Count Putting 2020 Census Rumors to Rest Upcoming Events Statistics in Schools Week: March 2-6 Women’s History Month: March 2020 Faith Communities Census Weekend of Action: March 27-29

Exporting Mechanics Webinar Series II  The U.S. Commercial Service, the export promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, has partnered with The NCBFAA Educational Institute (NCBFAA), to present an exporting mechanics webinar series focused on more leading and progressive topics.  The series will provide U.S. small and medium-sized businesses with more advanced information that they need to help them increase exports abroad, while increasing employment and jobs in the United States.    *The content for all topics will last within an hour, but sometimes, the question and answer session will last beyond the hour based on the number of participants on the webinar."

Event: Cultural Sensitivity Program  Date:  March 10, 2020 Time:  2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Cost:  $25 per participant Learn about cultural norms, traveling overseas, cultural understanding with negotiations, and the duty of care for employees. Event:  ACE Export Reports for Compliance Date:  April 14, 2020 Time:  2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Cost:  $25 per participant Learn how to cover the ACE reporting that will assist in international transactions and staying compliant.    For more information, go to NCBFAA "Doing Business in the United Arab Emirates" Webinar March 10, 2020, 9 - 10 a.m. ET $25 per participant     Learn about the business opportunities in the United Arab Emirates and the leading sectors for U.S. exporters:  renewable energy, oil and gas, safety and security, defense, construction, education, healthcare, automotive, information technology, conventional power, and aerospace.  Join the Honorable John Rakolta, U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates as well as representatives from the the U.S. Commercial Service, the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Dentons Law Firm, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.   Doing Business in the United Arab Emirates Flyer ======================================== The Summary of NLRB decisions for the week of February 18 - 21, 2020 is now available on the NLRB’s website.  The summary can be accessed by clicking the links below. https://www.nlrb.gov/cases-decisions/weekly-summaries-decisions/summary-nlrb-decisions-week-february-18-21-2020 Questions? Contact Us U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to meet the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year 2020. Feb. 18, 2020, was the final receipt date for new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before Oct. 1, 2020. USCIS will reject new cap-subject H-2B petitions received after Feb. 18 that request an employment start date before Oct. 1. On Feb. 18, the number of beneficiaries for whom USCIS received petitions surpassed the total number of remaining H-2B visas available for the H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2020. In accordance with regulations, USCIS determined it was necessary to use a computer-generated selection process intended to ensure the fair and orderly allocation of H-2B visa cap numbers available, without exceeding the FY 2020 cap. On Feb. 20, USCIS conducted the selection process to randomly select petitions from those received on Feb. 18. Upon completion of this random selection process, USCIS assigned all selected petitions a receipt date and began premium processing services. The H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2020 was met on Feb. 18, which was approximately the same time as when the H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2019 (Feb. 19, 2019) was met. USCIS continues to accept H-2B petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated cap. This includes petitions for: Current H-2B workers in the United States who wish to extend their stay and, if applicable, change the terms of their employment or change their employers; Fish roe processors, fish roe technicians and/or supervisors of fish roe processing; and Workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam from Nov. 28, 2009, until Dec. 31, 2029. ​​​​​​​U.S. businesses use the H-2B program to employ foreign workers for temporary nonagricultural jobs. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended, Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1 - March 31) and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1 - Sept. 30), plus any unused numbers from the first half of the fiscal year, if any. Unused H-2B numbers from one fiscal year do not carry over into the next fiscal year. Clarifications align with existing regulations and congressional intent USCIS today announced an update to the USCIS Policy Manual to align USCIS practice with congressional intent and existing regulations by clarifying requirements surrounding naturalization applicants’ absences from the United States. This update concerns absences of more than six months but less than one year during the statutorily required continuous residence period. This update clarifies the following requirements for naturalization: An applicant who has been absent from the United States for more than six months but less than a year must overcome the presumption that they have broken the continuity of their residence in the United States; and An applicant who has broken the continuity of residence in the United States must establish a new period of continuous residence, the length of which depends on the basis for naturalizing. An applicant filing under the general naturalization provision is not eligible until they have reached the required period of continuous residence as a lawful permanent resident. Under the law, an absence from the United States for more than six months but less than one year during the statutory period triggers a presumption of a break in the continuity of such residence. USCIS adjudicators have always been required to determine whether naturalization applicants have broken their continuous residence when evaluating naturalization applications. Please see the Policy Alert for more information on this update. Visit the Policy Manual for Comment page for more information on stakeholder review and comment.  ========================================= Small business financing: Staff Perspective outlines issues By Lesley Fair As an essential engine of the American economy, small business has a big impact. But where can small business owners turn for the capital they need to grow? Traditional lenders are one option, but the “It’s a Wonderful Life” image of George Bailey at the Building & Loan may not reflect reality. New online options may broaden the availability of credit, but they also raise some consumer protection concerns. That was the topic of Strictly Business: An FTC Forum on Small Business Financing and you’ll want to read a new FTC Staff Perspective on the subject. Read more > FTC’s Privacy and Data Security Update for 2019 – and how you can use it By Lesley Fair To review everything the FTC did in 2019 dealing with consumer privacy and data security – Enforcement, Advocacy, Rules, Workshops, Consumer Education, Business Guidance, and International Engagement – it could take days to compile all that information. The FTC has an easier way to share those developments with your company, clients, and colleagues. Read more > ===============================