This week, we had our annual office holiday party! We celebrated by taking a cruise around the southern tip of Manhattan, where we got to see landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge up close. The Statue of Liberty, of course, has been welcoming immigrants to New York City since 1886, holding up her torch to light the way to America’s shores. The Brooklyn Bridge has been a notable feature of the city for even longer, as it was designed by a Prussian immigrant in the 1860s and was completed by his daughter-in-law in 1883. After taking in the views of the skyline and the city’s rich history, we headed over to the Spanish Diner at Hudson Yards for delicious food and drinks and lots of lively conversation. We had a wonderful time celebrating the holidays in our beautiful city!
Office Holiday Party
USCIS Announces Temporary Waiver of Sixty-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures
On December 9, 2021, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published a policy alert [https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-temporarily-waiving-60-day-rule-for-civil-surgeon-signatures] temporarily waiving the requirement for civil surgeons to sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than sixty days before an applicant files an application for the underlying immigration benefit (including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). This rule will remain in effect until September 30, 2022. This measure allows foreign nationals, with otherwise valid I-693s, to complete the application process without having to submit to further immigration medical examinations, even if the civil surgeon signed their I-693 more than sixty days before they file their application with USCIS.
Read moreTPS Applicants May Now File Online for Status and Work Authorization
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) recently announced that commencing November 29, 2021, all Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) applicants may file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online. In the past, online filing of Form I-821 was limited to TPS applicants from certain specific countries. Under the new policy, nationals of all countries currently designated for TPS, namely Burma (Myanmar), El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, may file Forms I-821 and I-765 through USCIS’ online account system.
Read moreImmigrants are New Yorkers
Gingerbread House in London
Everyone loves gingerbread houses – they’re both festive and delicious! Of course, most gingerbread houses are small, you can decorate them and put them on display, but you can’t go inside. That is, unless you go to Annabel’s in London. The private member’s club in Berkeley Square has decorated their building to look like a giant gingerbread house. The facade glitters with Swarovski crystals, emeralds, and fiberglass “icing.” The effect is stunning, and the building looks good enough to eat!
Regional COVID-19 Public Health Travel Ban for Southern Africa Instituted
Just weeks after announcing new travel policies and lifting previous extensive COVID-19 travel restrictions, President Biden signed an Executive Order banning most travelers from eight countries in southern Africa in response to the ongoing national emergency caused by the newly emergent Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus to “protect public health.” Effective November 29, 2021, noncitizens of the United States who were physically present within “the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of South Africa, and the Republic of Zimbabwe during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States” are not eligible to be issued a U.S. visa or be admitted to the United States.
Read moreCOVID-19 Testing Requirements for International Travel
In response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has amended its testing requirements for air passengers traveling to the US from international destinations. The vaccination requirements remain in place with the only change being when a person must be tested before they arrive in the US by plane.
Beginning December 6, 2021, all inbound international airline passengers, including US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents, ages two and older will be required to submit a negative COVID test taken within one day of travel to the United States, in order to board their flight.
Read moreSilicon Valley Doesn’t Exist Without Immigrants
World’s Largest Menorah
This week, people around the world are celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, by lighting menorahs. Most menorahs are small enough to fit on a table or a windowsill, but New York City is home to two of the world’s largest menorahs! One is at the southeast corner of Central Park in Manhattan, and the other is in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Both menorahs are 32 feet tall, the maximum size allowed by Jewish law, so there has been a friendly rivalry between the two sites for decades. The Guinness Book of World Records gave the honor of the record to the Central Park menorah back in 2006, even though the Brooklyn menorah is actually a few inches taller. The lighting of the Central Park menorah on the first night of Hanukkah was celebrated with music, dancing, and a parade of cars driving up Sixth Avenue.