US Govt Shut Down: Another Bolt To Indian Visa Folk?

There are not many things that Indians crave for as much as the United States visa. This is on display if you look at the fact that lakhs of students fly to USA every year for better education and employment opportunities.

However, the latest news is that United States government has gone into shutdown because leaders in Congress could not agree on a funding bill. When a shutdown happens, many government services stop or slow down. This situation is now affecting the H-1B visa process, which is important for thousands of foreign workers.

To apply for an H-1B visa, companies must first get a Labor Condition Application (LCA) approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). During a shutdown, the DOL does not process LCAs because it depends on government funding. This means that if employers do not already have a certified LCA, they cannot move forward with filing new H-1B petitions.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which handles the H-1B petition after the LCA step, will continue working because it operates on application fees and is not fully dependent on government funding. However, since the LCA is a required step, many new applications will be delayed until the shutdown ends.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in India has announced that passport and visa services will continue as long as resources allow. The overall impact depends on how long the shutdown lasts and how quickly funding is restored.