The majority of USCIS services will continue to operate during the Federal Government Shutdown. Please be sure to keep your scheduled appointments as all USCIS offices remain open.

From the USCIS “…several USCIS programs will either expire or suspend operations, or be otherwise affected until they receive appropriated funds or are reauthorized by Congress. These include:
  • EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program. Regional centers are a public or private economic unit in the United States that promote economic growth. USCIS designates regional centers for participation in the Immigrant Investor Program.
  • E-Verify. This free internet-based system allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.
  • Conrad 30 J-1 doctors. This program allows J-1 doctors to apply for a waiver of the two-year residence requirement after completing the J-1 exchange visitor program. The expiration only affects the date by which the J-1 doctor must have entered the United States; it is not a shutdown of the Conrad 30 program entirely.
  • Non-minister religious workers. This special immigrant category allows non-ministers in religious vocations and occupations to immigrate or adjust status in the United States to perform religious work in a full-time, compensated position.”
The Department of Labor website is not being updated and icert is not available during the shutdown.  This may preclude the filing of H1B petitions which require a certified Labor Condition Application from the Department of Labor prior to filing. Although there is no official announcement from EOIR, the Immigration Courts may be affected.   Personnel at the Baltimore and Arlington Immigration Courts have been advised to appear for work but the Court will only be handling hearings for detained respondents.  It is expected that non-detained hearings will not go forward.