TPS Designation Extended for Honduras and Nicaragua: Recent DHS notices extended the designation of Honduras and Nicaragua for temporary protected status (TPS) for 18 months, from 7/6/16 through 1/5/18. The 60-day re-registration period runs through 7/15/16. Notices include information on re-registration and applying for renewal of work authorization
Visa Limit Reached for Special Immigrants (EB-4 Preference) from Mexico: The July 2016 Visa Bulletin includes a final action date of 1/1/10 for EB-4 visas for special immigrants from Mexico. Starting on 7/1/16, applicants from Mexico 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. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras also have a final action date of 1/1/10. It is anticipated that EB-4 immigrant visas for Mexico will become current again on October 1, 2016; for the other three countries, DOS cannot yet predict the final action date for next fiscal year but it is expected to be in 2015.
Staffing Company Fined Nearly $210,000 for Failures to Properly File Work Authorization Forms: The Office of Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO) issued a final decision and order, directing a staffing company, Golden Employment Group, Inc., to pay $209,600 in civil penalties for I-9 compliance issues. The order resolving the motion for partial summary decision notes that use of E-Verify is not a substitute for properly filed I-9 forms.