by | Jun 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Trump administration has made it harder for asylum seekers to get work permission in the U.S. while waiting for their application to be adjudicated. Under the final rule which will take effect on August 25, 2020, asylum seekers who enter the U.S. between designated ports of entry are ineligible for a work permit while they wait for their asylum application to be decided, unless the individual can show “good cause.”
Asylum seekers who do not fall within the above category would have to wait 365 days to become qualified to get a work permit as opposed to the current 150-day waiting period. Furthermore, individuals who do not file for asylum within one year of arriving in the U.S. generally won’t be permitted to work.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Pars Equality Center’s Immigration Services:
408-261-6405 (San Jose Office) / 818-325-7551 (Los Angeles Office)
[email protected] / [email protected]
by | Jun 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
On Monday, the Trump administration renewed the 60-day suspension of entry of most immigrant visa applicants until the end of the year. This measure that was initially introduced on April 22, applies to those who are outside the United States and do not already have an immigrant visa or travel document.
In addition to extending the April 22 suspension, the administration has introduced non-immigrant visa categories to the banned list. As of 12:01 am ET on June 24 and until December 31, 2020 (subject to continuation), foreigners are prohibited from coming to the US through a variety of visa categories, including H-1B visas, L visas for foreigners transferring to the U.S. offices of multinational companies; J-1 visas for some scholars and people participating in cultural and work exchanges; and H2-B temporary workers in nonagricultural industries. Like the previous proclamation, the suspension applies to those who are outside the United States and do not have a valid visa or travel document.
As always, Pars Equality Center is here to guide you through these unprecedented changes to U.S. immigration policies. Please do not hesitate to contact our Immigration Services if you have any questions:
408-261-6405 (San Jose Office) / 818-325-7551 (Los Angeles Office)
[email protected] / [email protected].
by | Jun 4, 2020 | Newsletter
Pars Equality Center in San Jose is proud to be partnering with Destination: Home and Sacred Heart Community Service on the COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program (CFAP).
CFAP focuses on serving those in our community who are impacted by the current crisis, and are most in need of assistance. Specific eligibility criteria and program information are included below.
Who is Eligible for Assistance?
To qualify for assistance, households must meet all five of the eligibility criteria:
- Live in Santa Clara County
- Had a household income (prior to the COVID-19 crisis) of 30% or less of Santa Clara County Area Median Income (aka Extremely Low Income)
- Can demonstrate a loss of income related to the COVID-19 crisis
- Are not eligible for unemployment benefits or recent federal stimulus payments
- Did not already receive assistance from the Destination: Home/Sacred Heart Community Service COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program
What Will Eligible Households Receive?
Households will receive $1,000 for every individual who meets the eligibility criteria, up to a maximum of $2,000 per household.
How Can Eligible Households Request Assistance?
If you believe you are eligible based on the above criteria, please email us at: [email protected]
by | May 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin reopening its offices and resume citizenship oath ceremonies in early June, more than two months after the agency canceled in-person services as a protective measure during the coronavirus pandemic.
On May 27, 2020, USCIS announced that it will reopen some of its U.S. offices on June 4, while scheduling fewer visa appointments and interviews “to ensure social distancing, allow time for cleaning and reduce waiting room occupancy,” and holding some interviews over video in separate rooms at an agency office.
The agency will also begin holding naturalization oath ceremonies but the ceremonies will be shorter and only the candidates will be permitted to attend to limit exposure, with exceptions for children and people with disabilities who require assistance.
Additionally, people entering USCIS facilities must wear face masks covering their mouths and noses and cannot arrive for interviews more than 15 minutes early or with too many people. Individuals should not come to their appointments if they are feeling sick, and there will be no penalty for rescheduling for that reason, the agency said. USCIS also encouraged applicants to bring their own pens.
by | May 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
144 Organizations to Congress: 2020 Census COVID-19 Plans Can’t Keep Communities Undercounted for Yet Another Decade
The Methods Used to Count Undercounted Communities are at Risk and the Census Bureau Needs a Plan
WASHINGTON – The Census Counts campaign, housed at The Leadership Conference Education Fund, led 143 other organizations in urging Congress to take action to prevent an inaccurate 2020 Census in the wake of COVID-19 by supporting significant enhancements to the methods that have been specifically designed to count historically undercounted communities. The U.S. Census Bureau needs a clear and detailed plan that includes increases in outreach so that it can execute these census operations in a way that is safe, fair, and doesn’t leave communities behind.
“The people and communities getting hit the hardest by job loss and illness right now are the same ones the census has missed for decades. As the Census Bureau moves to keep people safe by extending the 2020 Census timeline, we have to ensure historically undercounted communities aren’t, once again, being denied a chance to receive the funding, resources, and political power they deserve,” said Beth Lynk, Census Counts campaign director, The Leadership Conference Education Fund. “The Census Bureau needs to step up its plan to increase outreach to communities that have been historically undercounted even before we were facing a national public health crisis. Getting counted in the 2020 Census is a way to strengthen our communities and everyone deserves that chance.”
Without significant enhancements to support the following operations, rural, low income and remote communities, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and other populations more likely to be missed could be denied their fair share of representation and resources:
- Door-to-door counting of households who have not yet responded to the census – the most complex, labor-intensive census operation;
- Hand-delivering census packets in rural and remote communities, on American Indian reservations, in areas recovering from natural disasters, in much of Alaska, and in Puerto Rico;
- Counting people experiencing homelessness; and
- Facilitating outreach to households with limited internet access.
In a letter sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the groups recommended the following enhancements to the 2020 Census plan and operations:
- Send at least two additional census mailings during the extended self-response period from May through early August;
- Update the 2020 Census Integrated Communications Campaign, including extending the advertising program during Nonresponse Follow-up (NRFU), adding new languages, adjustments in COVID-19 messaging, and non-response targeting, among other improvements;
- Expand staffing of the Census Questionnaire Assistance operation for all languages;
- Update guidance for stakeholders supporting the 2020 Census with regard to phone and SMS-related issues;
- Reimagine the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance operation in response to COVID-19 with an expanded framework that includes both “mobile” assistance and fixed locations, as well as a larger staff;
- Schedule operations for counting people experiencing homelessness;
- Provide key data to stakeholders to support effective outreach strategies and continue their “get-out-the-count” efforts; and
- Ensure a robust and accurate post-enumeration survey operation.
The letter is available here.
Recent Comments