U.S. Government Shutdown Update – Visa Services Not Affected

With the ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown, many applicants are asking if their visa or immigration case will be delayed. The good news: USCIS and U.S. Consulates will continue operating as usual.

Why? Because these agencies are fee-funded, not dependent on U.S. Treasury appropriations. This means:

✅ USCIS will keep processing petitions and applications

✅ U.S. consular services at embassies & consulates abroad will remain open

✅ Visa interviews, adjudications, and case processing are unaffected

👉 For applicants, this means no disruptions to immigration filings or visa appointments despite the shutdown.

📌 If you have an upcoming interview, biometric appointment, or visa stamping, you can proceed as scheduled.

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💡 Why Does a U.S. Government Shutdown Happen?

Every year, by September 30, the U.S. Senate must pass funding bills to approve money for federal departments and agencies that rely on government appropriations.

• If Congress does not approve funding on time, these institutions cannot operate.

• This leads to a government shutdown — where many federal departments pause operations.

• They resume normal work only after funding is approved.

⚠️ Important:

Not all U.S. agencies are impacted the same way. Some, like USCIS and consular services, remain open since they are funded by application fees instead of federal appropriations.

📌 Shutdown = pause for taxpayer-funded agencies

📌 Fee-funded agencies = continue normal operations

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The Department of Labor (DOL) is not fee-funded and is directly affected by a federal government shutdown.

When a shutdown happens, all DOL immigration functions including Labor Condition Applications (LCA), PERM labor certifications, and Prevailing Wage Determinations (PWDs), pause immediately.

The FLAG system and related online platforms go offline, preventing any new filings or processing of pending cases.

This disruption can have serious consequences for H-1B holders and employers:

• H-1B extension filings that require a new LCA cannot proceed until the DOL resumes operations and issues certifications.

• Applicants seeking H-1B extensions beyond the 6th year based on a pending PERM application may face time gaps, since no new PERMs or PWDs are processed during the shutdown.

• Delays in initial filings or timely extensions may occur, though in past shutdowns, USCIS sometimes accepted late extension filings with proof that delays were solely caused by the DOL shutdown.

Anyone with urgent deadlines is at risk for major processing delays, and case timelines should be carefully tracked. Employers and applicants should document all impacts for possible later relief once the DOL reopens.