Impact of Partial Government Shutdown on Immigration-Related Agencies
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has provided the following update:
Immigration-related agencies that are impacted by the shutdown include the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration-related components (CBP, ICE, USCIS, CIS Ombudsman), the Department of Justice (EOIR), and the Department of State.
- CBP:The CBP website is not being "actively managed" and was last updated on December 21, 2018. CBP has also confirmed that the Admissibility Review Office (ARO) is currently furloughed. As such, Forms I-192, Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant, are no longer being accepted at CBP ports of entry nationwide. It has also been confirmed that the NEXUS program is also furloughed.
- DOS:All State Department employees furloughed as a result of the partial government shutdown have been ordered back to work starting as early as January 20, 2019 and as late as January 22, 2019 per an announcement on the DOS website on January 17, 2019. Reports indicate that E visa company registration appointments in Frankfurt are on hold due to the government shutdown. It is unclear at this time whether this applies to other posts that employ a registration process. Watch this page for further updates.
- DOL:Is NOT impacted by this government shutdown. On September 28, 2018, President Trump signed a minibus appropriations bill funding DOL through the end of September 30, 2019.
- SSA:According to the SSA Contingency Plan for FY2019, during a shutdown the SSA would "except" 53,000 employees in order to maintain key functions including issuing of original and replacement Social Security number cards.
- EB-5:USCIS provided updated guidance on the impact of the shutdown on the EB-5 program.
- E-Verify:E-Verify and related services are generally suspended.
- DOJ Civil Litigation:Civil litigation is "curtailed or postponed to the extent this can be done without compromising to a significant degree the safety of human life or the protection of property."
