The federal government is in a partial government shutdown, as Congress was unable to pass a FY 2026 appropriations bill or a temporary stopgap measure to extend federal funding beyond September 30, 2025.
Below is information on specific government agencies and processes for our international community:
- Department of State – Embassies and Consulates
- Visa operations are funded by application fees and generally should not be impacted by the government shutdown; however visa application processing times may be impacted if the shutdown continues for an extended period.
- Refer to U.S. embassy guidance for the most up-to-date information on visa processing operations.
- Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- CBP officers will continue to carry out inspections at U.S. borders and ports of entry.
- CBP should also continue to process TN applications at the border.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- USCIS is a fee-based government agency; therefore the government shutdown should not impact their normal operations.
- Department of Labor (DOL)
- DOL is not a fee-funded government agency; therefore, functions such as Labor Condition Applications (for H-1B and E-3 sponsorship) and Prevailing Wage and PERM processing (for certain categories of PR sponsorship) are suspended until an appropriations bill or stopgap legislation is passed by Congress.
- Social Security Administration Offices
- The Social Security Administration will continue to issue Social Security cards. See the SSA website for the latest information about office closings and delays.
The ISSO continues to monitor the impact of the government shutdown and will post any updates on ISSO News.
