U.S.A.'s interesting news

USCIS is actively monitoring the effects of the public health emergency related to the 2019 coronavirus outbreak on agency operations.

Office Closures in China

According to U.S. Department of State guidance, USCIS is temporarily closing its field offices in Beijing and Guangzhou. We will reschedule all affected appointments and will send new appointment notices to applicants.

Check our Beijing and Guangzhou webpages for updates on the status of these offices.

Rescheduling Appointments in the United States Due to Illness

If you are in the United States and are sick or start to feel symptoms of being sick, please follow the instructions on your appointment notice to reschedule your appointment. There is no penalty if you reschedule your appointment.

General symptoms of illness can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Sore threat
• A general feeling of being unwell

For the safety of our employees and those we serve, if you or someone with you appears ill during your appointment, the officer may reschedule your appointment.

Special Situations

When requested, USCIS may provide special support for individuals who may be affected by natural or extreme circumstances. When applying for an extension or change of status due to a special situation that prevented your planned and timely departure, we may take into consideration how the special situation prevented your departure. Check our Special Situations webpage for more information.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published revised forms consistent with the final rule on the public charge ground of inadmissibility, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including USCIS, will implement on Feb. 24, 2020. Beginning Feb. 24, 2020, applicants and petitioners must use new editions of the following forms below (except in Illinois, where the rule remains enjoined by a federal court):  Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker Form I-129CW, Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Worker Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status Form I-485 Supplement A, Supplement A to Form I-485, Adjustment of Status Under Section 245(i) Form I-485J, Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under INA Section 204(j) Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (PDF) Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member Form I-864EZ, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver In addition, except in Illinois, applicants for adjustment of status subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility and the Final Rule will be required to submit Form I-944, Declaration of Self Sufficiency. Certain applicants whom USCIS invites to submit a public charge bond will use the new Form I-945, Public Charge Bond, for that purpose, and the new Form I-356, Request for Cancellation of Public Charge Bond, to request cancellation of a public charge bond. Certain classes of aliens (such as refugees, asylees, petitioners under the federal Violence Against Women Act, and certain T and U visa applicants) are exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility and therefore are not subject to the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule. For more information about the classes of aliens who are exempt from the final rule, please see the USCIS Policy Manual. Reporting Information About Benefits The final rule requires aliens to report certain information related to public benefits. Instructions for Form I-944 require aliens subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility to report and submit information about whether the alien applied for, was certified or approved to receive, or received certain non-cash public benefits on or after Oct. 15, 2019. Instructions for Forms I-129, I-129CW, and I-539 require the petitioner or alien to report whether the alien received public benefits since obtaining the nonimmigrant status the alien seeks to extend or change. Due to litigation-related delays in the rule’s implementation, USCIS is applying all references to Oct. 15, 2019, as though they refer to Feb. 24, 2020. Petitioners and applicants should do the same. In other words, aliens do not need to report the application, certification or approval to receive, or receipt of certain non-cash public benefits on the Form I-944 before Feb. 24, 2020. Similarly, petitioners and aliens do not need to report an alien’s receipt of any public benefits on Forms I-129, I-129CW, and I-539 if the benefits were received before Feb. 24, 2020. Postmarks and Submission Dates for Forms USCIS will accept the current edition of these forms if they are postmarked (or submitted electronically, if applicable) before Feb. 24, 2020. We will not accept them if they are postmarked on or after Feb. 24, 2020, except in Illinois. For applications and petitions that are sent by commercial courier (such as UPS, FedEx or DHL), the postmark date is the date reflected on the courier receipt. Illinois Residents ​​USCIS is prohibited from implementing the final rule in Illinois, where it remains enjoined by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. If the injunction in Illinois is lifted, USCIS will provide additional public guidance. If you are applying for immigration benefits and live in Illinois, or are a petitioning employer in Illinois, please review the information on our website about how Illinois residents may access forms and apply in light of the injunction. Further Information USCIS has also published guidance based on the final rule in the Policy Manual. For additional information, see the Policy Alert. For more information about the final rule, see the Final Rule on Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility webpage.

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Make a difference in your community right now by helping to recruit applicants for census jobs.

Here's What Partners Can Do Now to Support the 2020 Census As a supporter of the 2020 Census, you can make a difference in your community right now by helping to recruit applicants for census jobs. Everyone is invited to apply—from retirees to college students to those simply looking to earn extra income. Census jobs provide weekly pay, flexible hours, and even training is paid.  Resources to Promote 2020 Census Jobs Several resources are available to help you promote 2020 Census job opportunities, whether you have just a few minutes for a social media post or can host a recruiting event in your community. Visit our website to find resources that include a recruitment toolkit with sample social media posts and email messages, a jobs fact sheet, flyers, videos, and graphics. Get Started Make an Impact in Your Community By working for the U.S. Census Bureau, members of your community have a unique opportunity to help make the 2020 Census a complete and accurate count. Census data impacts programs and services like: Medicaid School lunch programs Community development grants Road and school construction Medical services Business locations Jobs are located throughout the United States and pay rates vary by position and location. Interested individuals can complete an online application in about 30 minutes. Help us spread the word about 2020 Census jobs. Share this on social media or forward it to a friend. February 5, 2020 Learn All About Open Opportunities! Have you heard about Open Opportunities, but you’re not sure what it’s all about? The Acquisition portal on the Open Opportunities platform allows acquisition professionals to share knowledge and expertise and gain hands-on learning opportunities without leaving their current job. Join OPM on February 19 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET for a short demo of the Open Opportunities site and a Q&A session. Learn how this tool can help you and your organization. For audio and video join Zoom. For more information about Acquisition Open Opportunities, please contact aoocommunitymanager@gsa.gov.   Federal Acquisition Circular Published Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-04 was published in the Federal Register on January 15, and includes the following documents: Introduction; FAR Case 2019-012; Trade Agreement Thresholds Final Rule Effective January 15, 2020; and the Small Entity Compliance Guide. Visit acquisition.gov to see the list of sections affected by this FAC.   Free Webinar: An Introduction to Acquisition Innovation Essentials Join the Public Spend Forum for a free webinar entitled "An Introduction to Acquisition Innovation Essentials" on February 13 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET. Learn how agencies are leveraging crowdsourcing, partnership intermediary agreements, prize challenges, other transaction authorities, and more. This webinar is geared toward federal acquisition and program professionals who want to increase their awareness of available acquisition innovation trade tools as well as suppliers and entrepreneurs who want to develop business using these new pathways to government funding. Register today! Professional Services Office Hours February 13 Register today for the next GSA Professional Services Office Hours on February 13 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET. This month's topic is Meeting Your Complex Professional Services Requirements with OASIS. Join GSA’s expert Scott Eberle and learn about the many capabilities of this best-in-class solution. GSA's Professional Services Office Hours are free, online classes that address federal customer agency questions about professional services acquisition. Earn one CLP! Register now. FPDS Reports Will Transition to beta.SAM.gov in March The reports functionality of FPDS.gov is moving to beta.SAM.gov on March 16. All other FPDS.gov functionality will stay put; the site is not retiring at this time. Additionally, GSA’s Integrated Award Environment (IAE) is making significant improvements to the ad hoc reporting tool on beta.SAM.gov.  Register for Winter Gateway U Today! Winter Gateway U is happening from January 27 to February 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Attend to learn how the Acquisition Gateway and its tools can help your procurements. Attendees will earn one CLP!  Register today. Acquisition Today is published the first and third Wednesday of each month.  If you have information that you would like to share with the federal acquisition workforce community via Acquisition Today, you may submit your article for consideration by completing this form. If you have feedback that you would like to share with FAI, please email us at contact@fai.gov. The U.S. Commercial Service provides new exporters tips on breaking into the international marketplace. New Export.Gov Website We've updated the look and refreshed the content on our site. Check it out and find Export Solutions today!  NEW Exporting Skills Videos - The Complete List Did you miss one or more of the new Exporting Skills videos? In our new short videos, you'll gain an  understanding of key international trade topics. Here's the complete list with updated links. Watch one today!   Protect your Sale and Customer Relationship. View "Negotiating an Export Sales Agreement with a Pro Forma Invoice." Selling to an FTA country? Watch "How to Qualify for FTA Tariff Preferences." The FTA Certificate of Origin Tutorial will help you meet the recordkeeping requirements. For sales to the European Union, learn about the CE Mark. Interested in exporting to China? Find out about the CCC Mark. Find out how to Determine the Total Export Price with Foreign Tariff and Taxes. Understanding Your Product's HS Code explains why the HS code is a powerful bit of information and how to identify your product's code. Look up foreign tariffs and taxes via export.gov access to the Customs Info Database.