The following additional items may be of interest to our readers:
Extension of TPS for El Salvador: DHS has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of El Salvador (and those without nationality who last habitually resided in El Salvador) for an additional 18 months, effective 9/10/16 through 3/9/18. The 60-day re-registration period runs from 7/8/16 through 9/6/16.
Extension and Redesignation of Syria for TPS: DHS announces extension and redesignation of Syria for TPS for 18 months, from 10/1/16 through 3/31/18. The redesignation allows additional individuals who have not yet applied and who have been continuously residing in the U.S. since 8/1/16 to obtain TPS, if otherwise eligible.
Visa Limit Reached for Special Immigrants (EB-4 Preference) from India: Effective August 1, applicants from India who filed Form I-360 on or after 1/1/10 will not be able to obtain an immigrant visa or adjust status until new visas become available. Visas will become available starting in October 2016. This category is used for G-4 international organization employees who retire, as well as for religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, and others who seek to file for adjustment of status. Nationals from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras became unavailable in this preference category in July.
All UK Citizens Now Eligible for Global Entry: DHS announced expansion of Global Entry eligibility to all citizens of the United Kingdom, effective 7/12/16. Previously, a limited pilot program through which only certain UK citizens were eligible to apply for participation in Global Entry had been in effect.
Texas and Alabama Challenge Syrian Refugees Resettling Dismissed by Federal Courts: Two separate federal district courts, in Texas and Alabama, have dismissed challenges to the U.S. government’s placing of Syrian refugees in their respective states.
Immigration Discrimination Case Settled: Hartz Mountain Industries agreed to a settlement over a discrimination case with the Department of Justice (DOJ) after it posted a job advertisement that required U.S. citizenship for the position without any legal justification. The DOJ believed the job posting constituted citizenship discrimination. The fine of $1,500 was insignificant, but employers should be aware that restricting jobs without legal reasons to U.S. citizens and excluding others who are legally authorized to work in the United States is a form of discrimination that is unacceptable under U.S. law.