How US Shutdown Impacts H-1B and Green Card Processing for Indians

The ongoing US government shutdown is causing significant disruption across federal services. Several agencies have halted operations, some employees are furloughed without pay, and others are working without compensation until funding is restored.

One of the most impacted areas involves immigration, particularly for individuals waiting on H-1B visa and green card processing. Indian professionals, who represent over 71% of H-1B holders, are particularly affected. The US Department of Labor (DOL), which is critical in approving Labor Condition Applications (LCA) and PERM certifications required for H-1B and employment-based green cards, has ceased operations due to lack of funding.

This means that applicants who did not secure LCA approvals before October 1 may face delays. Despite this, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to process applications already funded through filing fees, offering a temporary reprieve to some applicants.

The shutdown also affects the E-Verify system, which employers use to verify job eligibility. This program is now offline, requiring employers to manually verify employee documents, causing further slowdowns. Past shutdowns have shown that consular operations may reduce hours or halt new applications unless deemed urgent.

The US Embassy in India has stated that visa and passport services will continue “as circumstances permit” at both domestic and international locations. They plan limited updates until normal operations resume.

The shutdown began on October 1, after the US President and lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement. There is no clear end date. The last similar event lasted 35 days. Layoffs across federal departments are anticipated, and the administration has defended the shutdown, citing it as an opportunity to reduce certain unwanted programs.

US government shutdown, H-1B visa, green card processing, Department of Labor, USCIS