Thanksgiving Closures: USCIS, IRS, and Embassies Impact Immigration

(UNITED STATES) USCIS, the IRS, and U.S. embassies and consulates abroad will shut their doors on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, 2025, with many locations also reducing services or closing on Friday. The closures fall during one of the heaviest travel weeks of the year in the United States 🇺🇸, and they will ripple through immigration filings, visa interviews, biometrics appointments, and mail processing.

Applicants planning time-sensitive steps in late November—students on strict school timelines, workers with pending work cards, families seeking re-entry, and travelers awaiting visa stamping—face the highest risk of disruption if they do not plan around the holiday schedule.

What is closed and why it matters

• USCIS follows the federal holiday calendar, so Field Offices, Application Support Centers, and the Contact Center will be closed on Thanksgiving. People scheduled to appear that day should expect rescheduling notices.
• The IRS will observe the federal holiday, slowing behind-the-scenes functions that touch immigration cases (verified payments, correspondence handling, some identity checks).
• U.S. embassies and consulates abroad will close on the U.S. federal holiday; many posts also reduce services or close the following Friday.

These closures can affect:
– Appointment schedules (biometrics slots, in‑person interviews, InfoPass-style inquiries)
– Visa interviews, printing, and passport hand-back/pickup windows
– Mail and receipt processing (including certified mail, receipt notices)
– Customer service availability and response times

Important: Anyone with a biometrics slot, in-person interview, or similar appointment tied to November 27 should assume it will not go forward that day and watch for rescheduling notices.

USCIS specifics and practical impacts

USCIS treats federal holiday appointments as unworkable and typically issues new dates without penalty. However, applicants should note:

• Schedules can change quickly due to severe weather or local conditions common in late fall.
• If an appointment is missed because it fell on the holiday, USCIS generally reschedules rather than penalizes.
• When offices reopen, staff often triage urgent matters first, leaving routine filings and callbacks to stretch into the week.

IRS and interagency delays

The IRS holiday observance can indirectly slow immigration timelines by delaying:
– Payment verifications
– Correspondence handling
– Identity checks tied to filings

Customer service lines have reduced hours and heavy call volume; mail processing can lag as carriers run altered routes or hold deliveries tied to closed offices.

Embassies and consulates abroad

• Many posts match U.S. closings with local Friday closures. Some consulates layer U.S. federal holidays on top of local observances, extending downtime.
• Late-November interruptions can affect passport hand-back, visa printing, and pickup windows, adding days to travel plans even when interviews are not moved.
• Applicants with visa interviews should check post-specific holiday calendars; closures can sometimes be announced only a few days in advance.

Why Thanksgiving 2025 is particularly sensitive

• Tight timing between school/work milestones and the holiday increases risk: students awaiting work cards for practical training, professionals needing visa foils to re-enter in early December, etc.
• If biometrics scheduled just before Thanksgiving is pushed, cases dependent only on fingerprints can face short but significant delays.
• Mailrooms typically see a surge the week after the holiday as packages and filings sent before the holiday stack up.

Ongoing federal funding dispute and shutdown effects

USCIS urged applicants to watch for office-specific updates, especially given the ongoing federal funding dispute and the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025.

• USCIS is fee-funded and reports core operations continue, but linked services at other agencies can still slow.
• This increases the importance of factoring both the official Thanksgiving closure and soft impacts on surrounding days.

Practical steps applicants can take (recommended)

1. Confirm appointment status and office-specific calendars before traveling.
2. File critical forms several days earlier than usual if deadlines land near November 27–29.
3. Keep digital copies of notices, itineraries, and evidence of upcoming travel.
4. Avoid booking international travel that requires a fresh visa foil unless you already have a stamped passport.
5. If travel is imminent, consider adding duplicate evidence to reduce the chance of a Request for Evidence causing worse delays.
6. Reach out to customer service or counsel early in the week rather than waiting until Wednesday/Thursday.

Forms and case types that deserve special attention

• Advance parole (Form I-131)
  • Avoid last-minute filings during Thanksgiving week.
  • Check that the document’s validity covers trip dates.
  • USCIS form page: Form I-131
• Nonimmigrant visa applicants (Form DS-160)
  • Complete the online application well ahead of appointment dates.
  • State Department overview: DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application
• Employment authorization (Form I-765)
  • A filing that arrives just before the holiday may not generate a receipt number until after the long weekend.
  • Form and guidance: Form I-765
• Extend/change nonimmigrant status (Form I-539)
  • Consult counsel before leaving near Thanksgiving if a status request is pending.
  • Form and instructions: Form I-539

Special note for Indian applicants and diaspora

• U.S. consulates in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata close for U.S. federal holidays and also observe Indian national and regional holidays.
• This can create a double-closure effect in late November, potentially moving interview dates and passport pickups into the following week.
• Students and tech workers with narrow windows should build extra time and avoid booking nonrefundable travel before the visa is printed.

Deadlines and statutory rules

• Generally, if a deadline falls on a federal holiday, the due date typically moves to the next business day.
• This prevents technical denials but does not remove practical delays: delivery confirmation, receipt number assignment, and biometrics scheduling can still trail behind.

Analysis from VisaVerge.com shows late November consistently brings a backlog bump at USCIS intake facilities, with catch-up lasting into early December as officers process piled-up mail and reschedules.

Where to check for updates

• USCIS recommends confirming appointment status before traveling and checking office-specific pages for sudden changes.
• Official USCIS schedule and weather-related stoppages: USCIS Office Closings
• U.S. embassy and consulate websites also post local notices; check frequently, since posts may announce Friday closures only days in advance.

Customer service timing tips

• USCIS phone lines and online chat fill rapidly early in the week and are lighter on Fridays.
• The IRS follows a similar pattern.
• For corrections (mailing address, name spelling) or urgent travel dates, contact agencies early in the week to maximize chances of a timely response.

Final takeaway

Thanksgiving 2025 is a federal holiday, and government offices that touch immigration will be closed or short-staffed. That alone can slow cases; add the post-holiday surge and the ongoing funding standoff, and delays can compound.

Applicants who build in a cushion now—by filing early, confirming appointments, and avoiding last-minute travel that depends on a new visa or travel document—will minimize the worst effects when offices reopen the Monday after the holiday.