Impact Of Government Shutdown On Immigration Matters

Here is what we know so far about how this past weekend's federal government "shutdown" will affect immigration adjudications and other related matters.

As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) operations are primarily funded through user filing fees (rather than federal government appropriations), we expect the agency to continue operating as normal. During the shutdown, USCIS will continue to accept all petitions and applications, and to honor all scheduled interviews and biometrics appointments.

Unfortunately, the Department of Labor (DOL) has indicated that it will neither accept nor process any applications or other materials during the shutdown, including Labor Condition Applications (LCAs), Prevailing Wage Determination applications, or PERM applications or audit responses. The iCERT and Office of Foreign Labor Certification websites have been taken offline and will not be available until federal funding is restored.