As the U.S. government shutdown continues, some news outlets are speculating that there won’t be a quick and easy solution to the stalemate over the federal budget that caused the that current situation. However, while your planned trip to a U.S. national park could be impacted, your immigration application or petition may not be.

The Department of Homeland Security is one of the nine departments of the federal government without current government funding, following the shutdown. However, several functions of and agencies under the Department will largely continue to operate, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), border patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Coast Guard, Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

USCIS continues to accept and process applications and petitions for various immigration and visa benefits, which are largely funded by fees paid by applicants or petitioners. In addition, the U.S. Department of State continues to accept and process visa applications, including applications for E visas.

Please feel free to reach out to a LMWF immigration team member with specific questions or concerns regarding your visa or immigrant application, or to find out how your U.S. immigration options might be impacted by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.