Did shutdown changes impact naturalization, green cards, and refugees?

(UNITED STATES) U.S. immigration processing split along sharp lines during the October 1, 2025 federal government shutdown, with core benefits such as green cards and naturalization moving forward while other parts of the system stalled. The most immediate takeaway for applicants was that USCIS remained operational, thanks to its fee-funded model, and kept accepting and deciding cases. But people still felt the impact.

The agency shifted staff to security screening and threat vetting, which slowed public-facing services and extended some processing timelines. Refugee resettlement paused outright, and employers saw sponsorship steps stuck at the Department of Labor, creating knock-on delays for workers counting on long-term status.

Agency priorities and practical effects

USCIS Director Joe Edlow said the agency was prioritizing risk review while the shutdown continued. He explained the reprioritization plainly: “We reprioritized resources to focus on reviewing cases with national security concerns, vetting immigration backlogs to ID threats, & referring all threats to ICE.”

This shift had immediate, visible consequences:

• Interviews, live ceremonies, and customer support moved slower.
• Public-facing interactions such as interviews, naturalization ceremonies, and contact center responses may also be delayed, the director warned.
• Applicants who had prepared for oath events or final interviews in early October reported abrupt scheduling changes, with ceremony dates pushed and slower callbacks from field offices.

Naturalization and citizenship applicants

The signal for people on the road to citizenship was mixed:

• USCIS continued to receive and adjudicate naturalization filings, and naturalization approvals continued to post.
• However, paused in-person activity stretched already tight calendars for oath events in some cities.
• Practical consequences included postponed job changes, delayed travel, and missed voter registration windows for some applicants.
• Applicants in the interview queue often experienced longer waits for that final step, even though their filings remained intact.

Green card and adjustment-of-status applicants

Green card applicants saw a similar pattern driven by USCIS’s fee-funded operations:

• Because USCIS is largely funded by filing fees, adjustment of status, employment-based petitions, and family-based approvals generally kept moving on paper.
• Face-to-face steps—biometrics and interviews—slowed in busier offices, causing unpredictable case-by-case delays.
• Some applicants reported no change; others saw noticeable slippage that affected moves, housing, and family plans.

The agency emphasized these were reassignments of attention, not a halt to work, but outcomes varied widely across local offices.

Employer-sponsored immigration and the PERM pause

Employers faced the most consistent roadblock at the Department of Labor:

• The PERM labor certification process (the required first step for many employment-based green card cases) stopped during the shutdown.
• Without certified PERM, many cases could not advance to the immigrant petition stage, creating a backlog that will ripple for months.
• Consequences for workers and employers:
  • Delayed start dates and promotions for foreign workers.
  • Re-sequenced hiring and contingency planning by employers.
  • A surge in pending cases once Labor reopens, stretching calendars and processing capacity.

According to VisaVerge.com analysis, the PERM pause resulted in “downstream delays for green card sponsorship cases that required DOL certification before USCIS could adjudicate the I-140 petition,” complicating workforce planning even after agencies reopen.

USCIS adjudications vs. public-facing services

At USCIS, many adjudications continued even as public-facing services slowed:

• Fee funding insulated core casework, so USCIS remained operational.
• Reassigning personnel to security reviews lengthened some processing timelines for applicants needing in-person contact.
• For applicants awaiting an oath or adjustment interview, the impact was especially personal—the finish line moved further away for many.

Refugee resettlement pause

The refugee program was hit hardest:

• Refugee processing paused due to its reliance on appropriated funds and partner operations without fee income.
• Families already cleared for travel saw flights canceled and could not get new dates from caseworkers.
• Resettlement groups warned of mismatches with housing, school enrollment, and other long-term arrangements that will be slow to fix after a restart.
• For refugees, the pause often meant renewed uncertainty and financial strain after years of separation and planning.

Limited relief for some temporary workers

USCIS issued a narrow form of relief for certain temporary worker categories tied to late filings caused by the shutdown. The agency stated:

“If an H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, or CW-1 petitioner meets all other applicable requirements and submits evidence establishing that the primary reason they did not timely file an extension of stay or change of status request was due to the government shutdown, we will consider the government shutdown an extraordinary circumstance beyond the petitioner’s control.”

Key points about this policy:

• It can help employers and workers who missed filing deadlines because shutdown effects blocked normal steps.
• It is not a blanket waiver—petitioners must prove the shutdown was the primary reason for the late filing and meet all other requirements.

What employers and family-based applicants experienced

Employers navigating employment-based immigration saw a two-speed system:

• Sponsors who had already cleared PERM could go on to file Form I-140 and have it adjudicated by USCIS.
• Sponsors awaiting Labor decisions were effectively frozen at step one, with temporary visa clocks still running.
• Once Labor reopens, the surge of cases will likely stretch forward calendars and complicate planning.

Families in marriage-based or other family green card cases had patchy effects:

• Many could still file and respond to notices; USCIS continued issuing decisions.
• Those needing in-person interviews to finalize status experienced appointment slips and short-notice reschedules.
• Practical burdens included rebooking travel, adjusting child care, and taking unpaid time off.

Communication and contact center impacts

Communication suffered as well:

• Applicants reported slower responses at the contact center, consistent with USCIS warnings.
• Fewer agents and longer queues reduced the quick reassurance many rely on when deadlines or interview letters are involved.
• USCIS said it would restore public service functions as soon as the shutdown ended, but during the weeks-long squeeze the trade-offs were tangible.

Key takeaways and next steps

• Fee-funded duties allowed USCIS to keep adjudicating cases, but security vetting took priority and changed some processing timelines for interviews, ceremonies, and customer support.
• The refugee program paused because of funding limits.
• DOL’s PERM functions stopped, delaying employer-sponsored green card steps that require Labor certification.
• For employment-based cases ready to proceed, USCIS continued accepting filings such as Form I-140, which remained viable once any required Labor certifications were in hand.

Practical advice for applicants and employers:

1. Check case status online regularly and watch for reschedule notices.
2. Expect unpredictability in local office scheduling—plan flexible travel and work arrangements.
3. Employers should prepare contingency hiring plans while awaiting Labor’s reopening.
4. Petitioners relying on late-filing relief must document that the shutdown was the primary cause of delays.

The 2025 shutdown did not create a uniform closure of immigration services. Instead it produced uneven movement—steady in some lanes, stalled in others—requiring applicants and employers to adjust planning and monitor agency updates as normal operations are restored.