Effective midnight, September 30th, 2013, the U.S. government shutdown took effect due to lapse in Federal Funding as a result of the Senate rejection on the latest House proposal.  Here is a look at the impact it has on Immigration Services during this government shutdown:

USCIS (United States Customs and Information Services) – All USCIS Offices Worldwide remain open. Applicants should report to scheduled interviews and appointments.  Embassies abroad will also continue to operate as usual.  The E-Verify program will unavailable during the shutdown, including all Customer Support and related Services.  This means that Employers are unable to:  Enroll in E-Verify, Verify Employment Eligibility, View or take action on any case, Add, delete or edit any User ID, Reset passwords, Edit company information, Terminate an Account, Run Reports, or View Essential Resources.  Additionally, Employees will be unable to resolve Tentative Nonconfirmations (TNCs) or perform Self Checks.

As a consequence it has confirmed that the 'three day rule' for E-Verify cases is suspended for all cases affected by the shutdown, that the time period for an employee's resolution of a TNC is extended during the shutdown and that it will provide additional guidance once it reopens. Federal contractors complying with the federal contractor rule are advised to contact the contracting officer to extend deadlines.

Employers are cautioned not to take any adverse action against an employee because of an E-Verify interim case status, including while the employee's case is in an extended interim case status due to the shutdown.

DOL (Department of Labor) – The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) will not conduct, accept or process any applications such as including Labor Condition Applications, Applications for Prevailing Wage Determination, Applications for Temporary Employment Certification, or Applications for Permanent Employment Certification.  Additionally, OFLC's web site, including the iCERT Visa Portal System and the PERM system, are unavailable during the shutdown

CBP (Customs and Border Patrol):  All Ports of Entry are open. CBP, The Border Patrol and the Office of Air and Marine are all continuing with operations.   All global entry enrollment centers are open and interviews are continuing and all Trusted Traveler programs continue to function as usual. The Admissibility Review Office (ARO) is open and continues to function.  The CBP website will not be maintained during the lapse in appropriations.

DOS (Department of State): The Department will continue as many normal operations as possible; operating status and available funding will need to be monitored continuously and closely, and planning for a lapse in appropriations must be continued. Most passport agencies and consular operations will remain open to the extent possible, although some activities might be interrupted. (For instance, "if a passport agency is located in a government building affected by a lapse in appropriations, the facility may become unsupported.")  Applicants are encouraged to contact the agency where they have filed or intend to file an application to determine the impact on that specific application.

DHS (Department of Homeland Security) -DHS' website will not be actively managed during the shutdown. 

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) – detention and enforcement operations will continue to function.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.