Government Shutdown 2013: Federal Shutdown Won't Halt Visas, Immigration, But Will Create Delays

The 2013 government shutdown will be a slightly different animal from the last shutdown that took place 18 years ago. For immigrants hoping to enter the country through visas, the nightmare of the 1995-96 shutdown won't be quite the same. Though the State Department, like most federal agencies, will be crippled by the Oct. 1 funding crisis, it will not stop processing visas like it did 18 years ago. Immigrants in need of consulate or embacy services, however, will be significantly more affected by the temporary shutdown as both will be severely understaffed, though embassies and consulates on foreign soil will continue to operate. During the previous shutdown, somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 were delayed or turned down as the State Department did not accept any visa applications during that time. Depending on how well the agency can function, however, being turned down is still an option and delays are certain as the large influx of visas cannot be processed efficiently with such little staff.

In a recent statement, the State Department said the only visas having priority right now, however, are those regarding "life or death" situations. Not only is the Department better equipped to handle a shutdown this time around, much of its operations in the visas and immigration subset are funded by the amount of fees collected for processing such documents. The delay of processing visas may result in mass cancelations of impending visits from foreign travelers who may not get the documents they need in time for their arrival to the U.S. Immigrations courts will also be suspended, with smaller cases being postponed until a later date, much like the entirely of civil cases in the Justice Department. Overall, those hoping to legally enter the U.S. soon should expect significant delays and a lack of response from the State Department until the shutdown is settled.