In just a few hours, the U.S. government will most likely be forced to shut down. We won't know for sure until tomorrow what will happen to each individual service that falls under the umbrella of U.S. immigration, but we do know a few things based on past government shutdowns and policies in place to protect certain government operations.
Which immigration-related institutions will stay open during the shutdown?
The Department of Homeland Security is still operational. This includes the following services:
- Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
U.S. embassies and consulates overseas will remain open, but their primary function is to serve American citizens with travel issues and other emergencies, not to process travel visas or other documents for foreign nationals. Travel visas to the United States will not be processed.
What will happen to immigration processing times at USCIS?
If previous shutdowns are an indicator, USCIS processing times will likely slow down due to dependence on other government agencies that may or may not be operational. No one knows if or how the November 2013 Visa Bulletin will be affected by the U.S. government shutdown at this time. Processing issues are compounded the longer government services stay closed. There is a chance this could significantly affect already delayed PERM processing and LCAs, but we will not know for certain until the shutdown is in effect. Current H-1B holders should not be affected, but there is a chance that filing for new H-1Bs could be delayed.
What about immigration enforcement?
Immigration courts will most likely see a significant reduction in staff, resulting in delays. Immigration detention and border security are considered essential services, so deportations and border enforcement will proceed as usual.
When will we know more about the effects of the U.S. government shutdown?
VISANOW will be posting updates tomorrow morning on Facebook and Twitter as well as on this blog in the event of a government shutdown. As always, we will do everything possible to make sure each immigration case is processed as quickly as possible without any issues, and we will keep you updated as soon as new information is made available.