U.S.A.'s interesting latest news

USCIS announced today that it will automatically extend parole, and employment authorization if applicable, for certain aliens present in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This specific extension of parole will apply only to current parolees whose parole status will expire on June 29, 2020. To ensure that all eligible aliens, including parolees, will have the full opportunity to apply for CNMI long-term resident status without interruption to their parole status, USCIS will automatically extend parole (and employment authorization, if applicable) for these aliens without interruption through Aug. 17, 2020.

The CNMI long-term resident status was created by the Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act (Public Law 116-24), signed into law on June 25, 2019. The new law specifically gave the Department of Homeland Security the discretion to authorize parole, with work authorization, for these aliens during the time period needed to implement the new law.

On Feb. 19, USCIS announced the procedures to apply for CNMI long-term resident status. The 180-day application period for this status will end on Aug. 17.

For parolees with an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expiring on or before June 29, 2020, the following documentation will serve as evidence of identity and work authorization for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, purposes until Aug. 17:

• A copy of this web alert; and
• Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document, bearing category code “C-11” with an expiration date on or before June 29, 2020.

The purpose of this temporary extension of parole and employment authorization is to encourage all eligible parolees to apply for CNMI long-term resident status within the application period. For parolees who file Form I-955, Application for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Long-Term Resident Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, by Aug. 17, USCIS will separately announce additional relief while their applications for CNMI long-term resident status remain pending.

If a parolee does not file Form I-955 and Form I-765 by Aug. 17, their parole status (and employment authorization, if applicable) will end, and they should depart the CNMI or seek another lawful status before Aug. 17.

As of June 17, 2020, we will no longer send Federal Register announcements to our subscriber list. The Federal Register has added email notifications to their own tools for sharing documents. The Federal Register’s notification tools include: email subscription, RSS feeds, Twitter, and Facebook. The Federal Register webpage Reader Aids: Email Notifications Now Available explains how to subscribe to notifications quickly and easily. You can create your own custom notifications by subscribing to specific search results, including USCIS or immigration.

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Washington, D.C. Headquarters June 16, 2020 EEOC ISSUES UPDATED COVID-19 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PUBLICATION ADDRESSING ANTIBODY TESTING Contains Q&A Linking to CDC Interim Guidelines on Antibody Testing   WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today posted an updated and expanded technical assistance publication addressing questions arising under the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new question added to the publication, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws” explains that in light of current CDC Interim Guidelines, the ADA at this time does not allow employers to require antibody testing before allowing employees to re-enter the workplace. This information is provided in Q&A A.7. Please note that an antibody test is different from a test to determine if someone has an active case of COVID-19 (i.e., a viral test).  The EEOC has already stated that COVID-19 viral tests may be permissible under the ADA. In response to inquiries from the public, the EEOC has provided resources on its website related to the pandemic in an employment context. The agency will continue to monitor developments and provide assistance to the public as needed. The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ­ment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.                                                                      ###

June 17, 2020 GSA Spotlight Webinar June 25 Register to attend this month’s GSA Spotlight Webinar on June 25, at 10:00 a.m. ET. David J. Shea, the Director of GSA’s Center for Charge Card Management, will discuss the GSA SmartPay® Commercial Charge Card and Related Payment Service Program. Learn about spending trends, using the cards for contract payments, selected GSA SmartPay® 3 innovations, and increasing program refunds to further support your organization’s mission. Spotlight webinars are free, online classes open to the federal acquisition workforce. Register now to earn 1 CLP!   Nominations for the 2020 Acquisition Excellence Awards Extended and Expanded To recognize acquisition professionals who contribute to outstanding improvements in acquisition throughout the federal government, the Chief Acquisition Officers Council (CAOC) is seeking nominations for the 2020 Acquisition, Program Management, and Small Business Excellence Awards. The CAO Council has extended the nomination period for the Acquisition, Program Management, and Small Business Excellence Awards two months to Friday, July 31. In addition, the CAO Council is permitting nominations for efforts from 2019 through July 2020. There has been some amazing work responding to the pandemic, the CAO Council wants to ensure that this work is recognized now instead of waiting an additional year. Efforts responding to the COVID-19 pandemic can easily fit into any of these three awards. OASIS Update The Professional Services Category recently announced two major changes for One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS). The OASIS ordering guide has been completely updated to remove the requirement to submit modification notices (formerly Appendix G) to the OASIS Program Office. GSA has also issued its first Notice to Proceed for the OASIS Small Business 8(a) contract program. Update Your DAU Profile Student profiles in the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Virtual Campus must be updated to receive information relevant to assigned training. Verify that the email address, phone number, organization, and supervisor information entered in your profile are accurate. Guidance on updating DAU profiles is available on the DAU FAQ website. Professional Services Office Hours July 9 Register today for the next GSA Professional Services Office Hours, which will be held on July 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Join GSA expert Shauna Weatherly and learn more about small business set asides and how you can help meet your agency’s small business goals through the schedules. GSA's Professional Services Category monthly Office Hours are free, online classes designed to address federal customer agency questions about professional services acquisition. Earn 1 CLP! Register now. DoD Invites Federal Partners to AbilityOne Training Civilian contracting personnel are invited to attend the online DoD CLM 023 DAU AbilityOne training. This course discusses the AbilityOne program and defines contracting officer’s roles and responsibilities when awarding contracts in accordance with FAR part 8.002 and FAR subpart 8.7. During FY19–FY20, DoD trained over 72,000 contracting and procurement professionals. Join DAU by registering today! Getting stimulus checks from car dealerships? Nope. by Jim Kreidler Consumer Education Specialist, FTC During these difficult economic times, scammers will do almost anything to try to get your money. Including, it turns out, making bogus claims about economic stimulus checks to lure customers to auto sales events. Read more > July 21st FTC PrivacyCon goes virtual By Lesley Fair The experts who have headlined the FTC’s first four PrivacyCon events are among the innovators whose research has allowed many of us to work remotely in recent months. So there’s a certain symmetry to the FTC’s announcement that the fifth annual PrivacyCon will convene virtually on July 21, 2020. Read more > The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.  Brazil: Brazilian Agricultural Sector Thrives Despite COVID-19 Pandemic While the Brazilian economy has faltered as a result of the widespread effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the country’s agricultural sector has thrived. The rapid devaluation of the Brazilian real made the country’s agricultural exports attractive on the international market. Weak real also discouraged dollar-denominated imports and fueled internal demand for domestically produced agricultural products. Brazilian agriculture, working in tandem with government decision-makers, overcame early transportation hurdles to boost exports, while also maintaining internal supply. Although the country has not experienced food shortage or supply chain disruptions, some segments of the Brazilian population have faced increased food insecurity. Overall, Brazil’s agricultural sector appears well-positioned to weather the spread of COVID-19 and the post-pandemic period. Guatemala: COVID-19 Impact on Guatemalan Agriculture  Guatemala’s GDP growth is expected to slow as a result of COVID-19. The agricultural sector’s participation in the national GDP is expected to drop from 13.5 to 9.7%. From January to May 2020, some of the traditional exports (bananas, sugar, and cardamom) have seen relative growth, while exports of rubber and sugar molasses, as well as fruits and vegetables have decreased. The agricultural sector is forecast to recover to 6% growth by the first quarter of CY2021. India: COVID-19 in India - Weekly Port Situation Update  Weekly report as of June 12, 2020, of COVID-19 impact on Indian port operations.  Malaysia: New Export Certificate Requirement Streamlines Trade  To reduce confusion at Malaysian ports and to streamline trade in lamb, beef, poultry and pork, all FSIS export certificates must now include in the remarks section the establishment number, name, and address of the producing/processing facility in the United States. This new requirement is especially important for U.S. pork, as trade in this product has increased significantly over the past 12 months.  Poland: Wood Pellets Market Brief  The Polish wood pellet industry is focused on growing exports to Italy, Germany, and Denmark, as well as increasing domestic demand among residential consumers. Post estimates that 2019 Polish wood pellet production reached 1.3 million metric tons (MMT). In 2018, 62 percent of wood pellets were used by residential consumers. About 25 percent of wood pellets were used by commercial or institutional entities for generating their own energy or heat, and the remaining 13 percent was used by commercial stakeholders to produce energy or heat for sale. Poland is a net exporter of wood pellets. In 2019, Polish wood pellets exports were valued at $110 million, while total 2019 wood pellet imports amounted to $40.5 million. In 2019, Poland did not import any wood pellets from the United States.  For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.