Extension of Employment Authorization for Syrian F-1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of Civil Unrest in Syria Since March 2011, 11553-11554 [2018-05206]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 51 / Thursday, March 15, 2018 / Notices
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
development project as it relates to the
benefits that are projected for
firefighters who would have improved
safety, health, or wellness. Applicants
should demonstrate a high benefit for
the cost incurred, and effective
utilization of Federal funds for research
activities.
• Financial Need (additional
consideration): In the Applicant
Information section of the application,
applicants should provide details on the
need for Federal financial assistance to
carry out the proposed project(s).
Applicants may include a description of
unsuccessful attempts to acquire
financial assistance. Applicants should
provide detail about the organization’s
operating budget, including a high-level
breakdown of the budget; describe the
department’s inability to address
financial needs without Federal
assistance; and discuss other actions the
department has taken to meet their
staffing needs (e.g., State assistance
programs, other grant programs, etc.).
• Mentoring (additional
consideration for Early Career
Investigator Projects only): An important
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is the integration of mentoring for the
principal investigator by experienced
researchers in areas appropriate to the
research project, including exposure to
the fire service community as well as
support for ongoing development of
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regarded as critical to the research skills
development of early career principal
investigators. As part of the application
Appendix, the applicant should identify
the mentor(s) who have agreed to
support the applicant and the expected
benefit of their interactions with the
researcher. A biographical sketch and
letter of support from the mentor(s) are
encouraged and should be included in
the Appendix materials.
Other Selection Information
Awards will be made using the results
of peer-reviewed applications as the
primary basis for decisions, regardless
of activity. However, there are some
exceptions to strictly using the peer
review results. The applicant’s prior
AFG, SAFER, and FP&S grant
management performance will also be
taken into consideration when making
recommendations for award. All final
funding determinations will be made by
the FEMA Administrator, or the
Administrator’s designee.
Fire departments and other eligible
applicants that have received funding
under the FP&S Grant Program in
previous years are eligible to apply for
funding in the current year. However,
DHS may take into account an
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:34 Mar 14, 2018
Jkt 244001
applicant’s performance on prior grants
when making funding decisions on
current applications.
Once every application in the
competitive range has been through the
technical evaluation phase, the
applications will be ranked according to
the average score awarded by the panel.
The ranking will be summarized in a
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Program Office. A Grants Management
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the application and SAM.gov
registration before making final award
decisions.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2229.
Dated: March 9, 2018.
Brock Long,
Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2018–05214 Filed 3–14–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–64–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
[DHS Docket No. ICEB–2013–0001]
RIN 1653–ZA13
Extension of Employment
Authorization for Syrian F–1
Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing
Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct
Result of Civil Unrest in Syria Since
March 2011
U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE), DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice informs the public
of the extension of an earlier notice,
which suspended certain requirements
for F–1 nonimmigrant students whose
country of citizenship is Syria and who
are experiencing severe economic
hardship as a direct result of the civil
unrest in Syria since March 2011. This
notice extends the effective date of that
notice. The extension of the suspension
applies to such students whose country
of citizenship is Syria and who lawfully
obtained F–1 nonimmigrant student
status by September 9, 2016.
DATES: This notice is effective March 15,
2018 and will remain in effect until
September 30, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Canty, Director, Student and
Exchange Visitor Program, MS 5600,
U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, 500 12th Street SW,
Washington, DC 20536–5600; email:
sevp@ice.dhs.gov, telephone: (703) 603–
3400. This is not a toll-free number.
Program information can be found at
https://www.ice.gov/sevis/.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00066
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11553
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
What action is the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) taking under
this notice?
The Secretary of Homeland Security
is exercising her authority under 8 CFR
214.2(f)(9) to extend the suspension of
the applicability of certain requirements
governing on-campus and off-campus
employment for F–1 nonimmigrant
students whose country of citizenship is
Syria, who are lawfully present in the
United States in F–1 nonimmigrant
student status, obtained F–1
nonimmigrant status by September 9,
2016, and who are experiencing severe
economic hardship as a direct result of
the civil unrest in Syria since March
2011. See 77 FR 20038 (April 3, 2012);
81 FR 62520 (September 9, 2016). The
original notice was effective from April
3, 2012 until October 3, 2013. A
subsequent notice provided for an 18month extension from October 3, 2013,
through March 31, 2015. See 78 FR
36211 (June 17, 2013). A third notice
provided another 18-month extension
from March 31, 2015, through
September 30, 2016. See 80 FR 232
(January 5, 2015). A fourth notice
provided another 18-month extension
from September 30, 2016, through
March 31, 2018, and expanded the
applicability of such suspension to
Syian F–1 students who lawfully
obtained F–1 nonimmigrant student
status between April 3, 2012 and
September 9, 2016. See 81 FR 62520
(September 9, 2016). Effective with this
publication, suspension of the
employment limitations is extended for
18 months from March 31, 2018 until
September 30, 2019.
F–1 nonimmigrant students granted
employment authorization through the
notice will continue to be deemed to be
engaged in a ‘‘full course of study’’ for
the duration of their employment
authorization, provided they satisfy the
minimum course load requirement
described in 77 FR 20038. See 8 CFR
214.2(f)(6)(i)(F).
Who is covered under this action?
This notice applies exclusively to
F–1 nonimmigrant students whose
country of citizenship is Syria and who
were lawfully present in the United
States in F–1 nonimmigrant status
under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),
8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)(i), on September
9, 2016, and are—
(1) Enrolled in an institution that is
Student and Exchange Visitor Program
(SEVP)-certified for enrollment of F–1
students,
E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM
15MRN1
11554
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 51 / Thursday, March 15, 2018 / Notices
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
(2) Currently maintaining F–1 status,
and
(3) Experiencing severe economic
hardship as a direct result of the
ongoing civil unrest in Syria since
March 2011.
ICE records show that as of January
23, 2018, there are approximately 620
Syrian F–1 visa holders in active status
who would be covered by this notice.
This notice applies to elementary
school, middle school, high school,
undergraduate, and graduate students.
This notice, however, applies differently
to elementary school, middle school,
and high school students (see the
discussion published at 77 FR 20040,
available at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
pkg/FR-2012-04-03/pdf/2012-7960.pdf,
in the question, ‘‘Does this notice apply
to elementary school, middle school,
and high school students in F–1
status?’’).
F–1 students covered by this notice
who transfer to other academic
institutions that are SEVP-certified for
enrollment of F–1 students remain
eligible for the relief provided by means
of this notice.
Why is DHS taking this action?
DHS took action to provide temporary
relief to F–1 nonimmigrant students
whose country of citizenship is Syria
and who experienced severe economic
hardship because of the civil unrest in
Syria since March 2011. See 77 FR
20038 (April 3, 2012). It enabled these
F–1 students to obtain employment
authorization, work an increased
number of hours while school was in
session, and reduce their course load,
while continuing to maintain their F–1
student status. In June 2013, January
2015, and again in September 2016,
DHS acknowledged that the the civil
unrest in Syria continued to affect
Syria’s citizens, with many people still
displaced as a result. DHS extended the
application of the original April 3, 2012,
notice through March 31, 2018, to
continue to provide temporary relief to
Syrian F–1 students who experienced
severe economic hardship as a result of
the conflict. Despite DHS’s
determination that the civil conflict in
Syria continued well beyond the
October 3, 2013, expiration date of the
original notice, temporary relief was not
made available to Syrian F–1 students
who became lawfully present in the
United States in F–1 nonimmigrant
status after April 3, 2012. On September
9, 2016, however, DHS published a
notice extending the application of the
temporary relief in the original April 3,
2012 notice to those Syrian F–1
nonimmigrant students who lawfully
obtained F–1 nonimmigrant status
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:34 Mar 14, 2018
Jkt 244001
between April 3, 2012, and September
9, 2016.
The conflict in Syria continues to
affect the physical and economic
security of its citizens. There are more
than 11.7 million displaced Syrians in
the region, both inside Syria and in
neighboring countries, plus nearly 1
million Syrians have applied for asylum
in Europe. The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees has reported
over 2.8 million civilians displaced in
2017 alone, many for the second or third
time. Since the beginning of the conflict,
as many as 500,000 Syrians are dead or
missing.
As a result of the civil war and
conflict, food and water insecurity
continues to have a major negative
impact on the population of Syria. As of
September 2017, the United Nations
World Food Program assessed that food
production in Syria was at an all-time
low and that the situation was showing
no sign of improving. Due to an 800
percent increase in the consumer food
price index between 2010 and 2016, 90
percent of Syrian households now
spend over half of their income on food,
compared with 25 percent before the
crisis. As of March 2017, 51 percent of
Syrians lacked regular access to the
public water system, relying instead on
unregulated systems not tested for water
purity. Schools and hospitals are
significantly impacted by the lack of
basic levels of sanitation, as well as the
destruction of many facilities.
Furthermore, the conflict continues to
negatively affect the Syrian economy. In
2017, the World Bank Group issued a
report detailing the economic and social
consequences of the conflict in Syria,
estimating $226 billion in lost GDP
since the conflict erupted, a figure equal
to about four times the Syrian GDP in
2010. World Bank Grp., The Toll of War:
The Economic and Social Consequences
of the Conflict in Syria 83 (2017),
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/
bitstream/handle/10986/27541/
The%20Toll%20of%20War.pdf.
Given the conditions in Syria, affected
students whose primary means of
financial support come from Syria may
need to be exempt from the normal
student employment requirements to be
able to continue their studies in the
United States and meet basic living
expenses.
The United States is committed to
continuing to assist the people of Syria.
DHS is therefore extending this
employment authorization for F–1
nonimmigrant students whose country
of citizenship is Syria, who lawfully
obtained F–1 nonimmigrant student
status by September 9, 2016, and who
are continuing to experience severe
PO 00000
Frm 00067
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
economic hardship as a result of the
civil unrest since March 2011.
How do I apply for employment
authorization under the circumstances
of this notice?
F–1 nonimmigrant students whose
country of citizenship is Syria who
lawfully obtained F–1 nonimmigrant
student status by September 9, 2016,
and are experiencing severe economic
hardship because of the civil unrest may
apply for employment authorization
under the guidelines described in 77 FR
20038. This notice extends the time
period during which such F–1 students
may seek employment due to the civil
unrest. It does not impose any new or
additional policies or procedures
beyond those listed in the original
notice. All interested F–1 students
should follow the instructions listed in
the original notice.
Elaine C. Duke,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–05206 Filed 3–14–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–28–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–7002–N–04]
60 Day Notice of Proposed Information
Collection: Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) Urban County
Qualification/New York Towns
Qualification/Requalification
Processes
Office of Community Planning
and Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The proposed information
collection requirement described below
will be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act. The Department is
soliciting public comments on the
subject proposal.
DATES: Comments due date: May 14,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal. Comments should refer to
the proposal by name and/or OMB
Control Number and should be sent to:
Colette Pollard, Departmental
Paperwork Reduction Act Officer,
QDAM, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW,
Room 4160, Washington, DC 20410;
telephone: 202–708–3400 (this is not a
toll-free number) or email Ms. Pollard
for a copy of the proposed form and
other available information.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM
15MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 51 (Thursday, March 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11553-11554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05206]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
[DHS Docket No. ICEB-2013-0001]
RIN 1653-ZA13
Extension of Employment Authorization for Syrian F-1 Nonimmigrant
Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of
Civil Unrest in Syria Since March 2011
AGENCY: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice informs the public of the extension of an earlier
notice, which suspended certain requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant
students whose country of citizenship is Syria and who are experiencing
severe economic hardship as a direct result of the civil unrest in
Syria since March 2011. This notice extends the effective date of that
notice. The extension of the suspension applies to such students whose
country of citizenship is Syria and who lawfully obtained F-1
nonimmigrant student status by September 9, 2016.
DATES: This notice is effective March 15, 2018 and will remain in
effect until September 30, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Canty, Director, Student and
Exchange Visitor Program, MS 5600, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, 500 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20536-5600; email:
[email protected], telephone: (703) 603-3400. This is not a toll-free
number. Program information can be found at https://www.ice.gov/sevis/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
What action is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) taking under
this notice?
The Secretary of Homeland Security is exercising her authority
under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9) to extend the suspension of the applicability
of certain requirements governing on-campus and off-campus employment
for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Syria,
who are lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant
student status, obtained F-1 nonimmigrant status by September 9, 2016,
and who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of
the civil unrest in Syria since March 2011. See 77 FR 20038 (April 3,
2012); 81 FR 62520 (September 9, 2016). The original notice was
effective from April 3, 2012 until October 3, 2013. A subsequent notice
provided for an 18-month extension from October 3, 2013, through March
31, 2015. See 78 FR 36211 (June 17, 2013). A third notice provided
another 18-month extension from March 31, 2015, through September 30,
2016. See 80 FR 232 (January 5, 2015). A fourth notice provided another
18-month extension from September 30, 2016, through March 31, 2018, and
expanded the applicability of such suspension to Syian F-1 students who
lawfully obtained F-1 nonimmigrant student status between April 3, 2012
and September 9, 2016. See 81 FR 62520 (September 9, 2016). Effective
with this publication, suspension of the employment limitations is
extended for 18 months from March 31, 2018 until September 30, 2019.
F-1 nonimmigrant students granted employment authorization through
the notice will continue to be deemed to be engaged in a ``full course
of study'' for the duration of their employment authorization, provided
they satisfy the minimum course load requirement described in 77 FR
20038. See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(F).
Who is covered under this action?
This notice applies exclusively to F-1 nonimmigrant students whose
country of citizenship is Syria and who were lawfully present in the
United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)(F)(i), on September 9, 2016, and are--
(1) Enrolled in an institution that is Student and Exchange Visitor
Program (SEVP)-certified for enrollment of F-1 students,
[[Page 11554]]
(2) Currently maintaining F-1 status, and
(3) Experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the
ongoing civil unrest in Syria since March 2011.
ICE records show that as of January 23, 2018, there are
approximately 620 Syrian F-1 visa holders in active status who would be
covered by this notice. This notice applies to elementary school,
middle school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. This
notice, however, applies differently to elementary school, middle
school, and high school students (see the discussion published at 77 FR
20040, available at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-04-03/pdf/2012-7960.pdf, in the question, ``Does this notice apply to elementary
school, middle school, and high school students in F-1 status?'').
F-1 students covered by this notice who transfer to other academic
institutions that are SEVP-certified for enrollment of F-1 students
remain eligible for the relief provided by means of this notice.
Why is DHS taking this action?
DHS took action to provide temporary relief to F-1 nonimmigrant
students whose country of citizenship is Syria and who experienced
severe economic hardship because of the civil unrest in Syria since
March 2011. See 77 FR 20038 (April 3, 2012). It enabled these F-1
students to obtain employment authorization, work an increased number
of hours while school was in session, and reduce their course load,
while continuing to maintain their F-1 student status. In June 2013,
January 2015, and again in September 2016, DHS acknowledged that the
the civil unrest in Syria continued to affect Syria's citizens, with
many people still displaced as a result. DHS extended the application
of the original April 3, 2012, notice through March 31, 2018, to
continue to provide temporary relief to Syrian F-1 students who
experienced severe economic hardship as a result of the conflict.
Despite DHS's determination that the civil conflict in Syria continued
well beyond the October 3, 2013, expiration date of the original
notice, temporary relief was not made available to Syrian F-1 students
who became lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant
status after April 3, 2012. On September 9, 2016, however, DHS
published a notice extending the application of the temporary relief in
the original April 3, 2012 notice to those Syrian F-1 nonimmigrant
students who lawfully obtained F-1 nonimmigrant status between April 3,
2012, and September 9, 2016.
The conflict in Syria continues to affect the physical and economic
security of its citizens. There are more than 11.7 million displaced
Syrians in the region, both inside Syria and in neighboring countries,
plus nearly 1 million Syrians have applied for asylum in Europe. The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reported over 2.8
million civilians displaced in 2017 alone, many for the second or third
time. Since the beginning of the conflict, as many as 500,000 Syrians
are dead or missing.
As a result of the civil war and conflict, food and water
insecurity continues to have a major negative impact on the population
of Syria. As of September 2017, the United Nations World Food Program
assessed that food production in Syria was at an all-time low and that
the situation was showing no sign of improving. Due to an 800 percent
increase in the consumer food price index between 2010 and 2016, 90
percent of Syrian households now spend over half of their income on
food, compared with 25 percent before the crisis. As of March 2017, 51
percent of Syrians lacked regular access to the public water system,
relying instead on unregulated systems not tested for water purity.
Schools and hospitals are significantly impacted by the lack of basic
levels of sanitation, as well as the destruction of many facilities.
Furthermore, the conflict continues to negatively affect the Syrian
economy. In 2017, the World Bank Group issued a report detailing the
economic and social consequences of the conflict in Syria, estimating
$226 billion in lost GDP since the conflict erupted, a figure equal to
about four times the Syrian GDP in 2010. World Bank Grp., The Toll of
War: The Economic and Social Consequences of the Conflict in Syria 83
(2017), https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/27541/The%20Toll%20of%20War.pdf.
Given the conditions in Syria, affected students whose primary
means of financial support come from Syria may need to be exempt from
the normal student employment requirements to be able to continue their
studies in the United States and meet basic living expenses.
The United States is committed to continuing to assist the people
of Syria. DHS is therefore extending this employment authorization for
F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Syria, who
lawfully obtained F-1 nonimmigrant student status by September 9, 2016,
and who are continuing to experience severe economic hardship as a
result of the civil unrest since March 2011.
How do I apply for employment authorization under the circumstances of
this notice?
F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Syria who
lawfully obtained F-1 nonimmigrant student status by September 9, 2016,
and are experiencing severe economic hardship because of the civil
unrest may apply for employment authorization under the guidelines
described in 77 FR 20038. This notice extends the time period during
which such F-1 students may seek employment due to the civil unrest. It
does not impose any new or additional policies or procedures beyond
those listed in the original notice. All interested F-1 students should
follow the instructions listed in the original notice.
Elaine C. Duke,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-05206 Filed 3-14-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-28-P
