Potential Government Shutdown Could Have Immigration-Related Consequences

The potential government shutdown could have immigration-related consequences, especially for those immigration functions performed by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Although no official announcements have been made concerning what services would be affected by a shutdown, it is likely that DOS, which among its many functions issues visas to foreign nationals at U.S. consular posts abroad, would operate on a severely limited basis. Foreign nationals should be prepared for delays and may want to consider postponing travel outside the country if a new visa stamp would be required to re-enter the United States. Prevailing wage determinations, online PERM filings, and labor condition applications would be impacted by a DOL shutdown if iCert does not remain online, resulting in delays for both PERM processing and H-1B filings. PERM filings could be mailed if necessary.