A partial federal shutdown began just after midnight on 31 January when House leaders delayed a vote on a Senate-passed spending package that funds most agencies but extends the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget for only two weeks. Until lawmakers reconvene on 3 February, roughly 200,000 DHS employees—including those at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement—are working without guaranteed pay.(abc7.com)
Because USCIS and passport services are largely fee-funded, core adjudications continue. However, the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification, which relies on appropriated funds, has taken its FLAG system offline, halting PERM, prevailing-wage, and H-2 visa filings. Employers with green-card or H-2 deadlines may miss statutory filing windows, potentially resetting recruitment timelines or seasonal-worker start dates.(hollandhart.com)
![Partial U.S. Government Shutdown Puts DHS Funding—and Immigration Operations—In Limbo]()
For employers and travelers scrambling to keep mobility plans intact despite the shutdown, VisaHQ can serve as a one-stop resource. The platform monitors real-time consular updates, suggests alternative filing strategies, and can expedite visa or passport services through its Washington, D.C. hub—particularly valuable when agency backlogs threaten departure dates. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Business travellers could also feel ripple effects. TSA screening and air-traffic control remain “essential,” but staffing shortages may lengthen security and customs queues at major hubs. CBP ports of entry continue to operate, yet adjudication of in-person I-94 corrections and Form I-192 waivers is expected to slow. Mobility managers should build extra layover time into itineraries and consider pre-clearance airports where possible.(abc7.com)
Politically, the standoff centres on immigration enforcement. Progressive Democrats refuse to back a DHS bill that does not curtail ICE tactics after two high-profile fatal shootings, while conservative Republicans demand expanded deportation authority and voter-ID riders. With neither side yielding, another short-term continuing resolution—or a more comprehensive deal that restructures ICE oversight—may be required to end the shutdown.(nypost.com)
Because USCIS and passport services are largely fee-funded, core adjudications continue. However, the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification, which relies on appropriated funds, has taken its FLAG system offline, halting PERM, prevailing-wage, and H-2 visa filings. Employers with green-card or H-2 deadlines may miss statutory filing windows, potentially resetting recruitment timelines or seasonal-worker start dates.(hollandhart.com)
For employers and travelers scrambling to keep mobility plans intact despite the shutdown, VisaHQ can serve as a one-stop resource. The platform monitors real-time consular updates, suggests alternative filing strategies, and can expedite visa or passport services through its Washington, D.C. hub—particularly valuable when agency backlogs threaten departure dates. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Business travellers could also feel ripple effects. TSA screening and air-traffic control remain “essential,” but staffing shortages may lengthen security and customs queues at major hubs. CBP ports of entry continue to operate, yet adjudication of in-person I-94 corrections and Form I-192 waivers is expected to slow. Mobility managers should build extra layover time into itineraries and consider pre-clearance airports where possible.(abc7.com)
Politically, the standoff centres on immigration enforcement. Progressive Democrats refuse to back a DHS bill that does not curtail ICE tactics after two high-profile fatal shootings, while conservative Republicans demand expanded deportation authority and voter-ID riders. With neither side yielding, another short-term continuing resolution—or a more comprehensive deal that restructures ICE oversight—may be required to end the shutdown.(nypost.com)
