US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the publication of a final rule this week that will “modify the H-1B cap selection process, amend current lottery procedures, and prioritize wages to protect the economic interests of U.S. workers and better ensure the most highly skilled foreign workers benefit from the temporary employment program.” This final rule will end the H-1B visa lottery and instead allow USCIS to adjudicate H-1B petitions based on registrations starting with the highest salary level and going down, as Stuart Anderson explains in Forbes.
Read moreThe US Now Requiring Negative COVID-19 Test for Air Travelers from the UK
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that effective December 28, 2020, American and foreign national air passengers arriving from the United Kingdom to the United States must test negative for coronavirus via the PCR or antigen test no more than seventy-two hours before departure from the UK to the US. The CDC notes that this order comes after UK public health authorities announced the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 which may be up to seventy percent more transmissible than previously circulating variants. Numerous countries have announced new restrictions on UK travelers due to this new variant.
The CDC notes that this “additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel.” In a statement, CDC explains: "Passengers are required to get a viral test (i.e., a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight from the U.K. to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (in hard copy or electronic) to the airline. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before they board. If a passenger chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger."
See You Next Year!
As 2020 thankfully draws to a close, we were able to get out of the apartment and see this lovely tree at Fort Greene Park. While it’s not quite as large and magnificent as the tree at Rockefeller Center, this tree is doing its best, just like all of us. Bye, 2020. Hello, 2021.
Scenes from a Snowstorm 2020
What else did 2020 need? How about a major snowstorm? Yes, please. This week a powerful nor'easter hit New York City and the northeast with heavy snow and high winds. With at least ten inches recorded in Central Park, it was the biggest December snowstorm in New York City in ten years since a blizzard in 2010 dumped twenty inches. We made our way (carefully) around New York City amid the snowstorm and were able to enjoy a few peaceful moments of freshly fallen snow before it turns to dirty slush. Oh yes, don’t forget to wear a mask!
The Holidays at Hudson Yards
On a chilly day this week we checked out the incredible holiday light display at Hudson Yards. More than two million white lights are featured throughout the shops, the Vessel (which has extended holiday hours), the Edge observation deck, and the outdoor areas. With Hanukkah starting this week, Hudson Yards is also celebrating with traditional sweets and treats and arts and craft activities. If you go, be sure to social distance and wear a mask!
Judge Orders Full Reinstatement of DACA Program
Last week on December 4, 2020, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the US District Court in Brooklyn ordered that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must immediately fully reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, reversing a memorandum issued this summer by Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf that restricted the program to those already enrolled. Judge Garaufis ordered that DHS post a public notice stating that it is accepting new, initial DACA applications with work permits that are valid for two years and that DACA recipients are eligible to apply for Advance Parole for international travel. Judge Garaufis also directed the government to notify immigrants eligible for DACA to let them know of the change.
Read morePoint of Action
Point of Action by Studio Cooke John invites residents and visitors alike “to contemplate the experience of seeing one another—and being seen.” The installation consists of six-foot circles affixed onto the Flatiron Public Plazas that create nine “spotlights,” each with its own vertical metal lighted frame. Lights embedded on each metal structure illuminate and frame the viewer who can step into the spotlight and connect with viewers across the plazas. “We are at a threshold during this pandemic,” Nina Cooke John, Founder and Principal of Studio Cooke John, says. “Now that our eyes have been opened to realities that have been with us all along, how do we move forward? My hope is that Point of Action makes people think about how we connect to the people we see every day so that we can move forward together.” Point of Action is on view through January 1, 2021 in the Flatiron Public Plazas on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street in Manhattan.
See You in 2021!
Happy Thanksgiving from St James's Park!
While we were enjoying a walk in St James’s Park on a delightful fall day, we came across these pelicans enjoying their own stroll. Pelicans were first introduced to the park in 1664 as a gift from the Russian ambassador, and now over forty live here. Current pelican residents include Isla, Tiffany, and Gargi, and recent additions include Sun, Moon, and Star. They all enjoy sunning on their favorites rocks and being fed fresh fish between 2:30pm and 3:00pm every day (though during the pandemic staff feed them away from public view). While the pelicans are free to roam they rarely go far from the lake. Which is probably just as well. Because, you know, social distancing and all. And, don’t worry, pelicans, we're not going to eat you. Sorry, turkeys.
USCIS Announces Revised Naturalization Civics Test Effective December 1, 2020
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced plans to implement a revised version of the naturalization civics test that will be effective for those who apply for naturalization on and after December 1, 2020. The civics test is one of the statutory requirements for naturalization. The revised test includes “more questions that test the applicant’s understanding of U.S. history and civics, in line with the statutory requirements, and covers a variety of topics that provide the applicant with more opportunities to learn about the United States as part of the test preparation process.”
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