Can I-485 Filings Continue During a Government Shutdown? USCIS Guidance

(UNITED STATES) As Congress edges toward another possible government shutdown, many applicants are asking the same question: can they still file the Form I-485 to adjust status inside the United States 🇺🇸, and will USCIS accept those filings? The answer is clear and consistent with past lapses in federal funding: yes, applicants can file Form I-485, and USCIS will accept and continue processing new filings during a government shutdown. The agency’s core services keep running because USCIS is primarily funded by application fees, not by annual congressional appropriations. This fee-based model insulates most of its daily operations—receipting new filings, conducting biometrics, and holding interviews—from shutdown disruptions that hit appropriated agencies.

Applicants often confuse a government shutdown with a full stop to all immigration activity. That’s not how it works for USCIS. While other parts of the federal system pause, USCIS customer-facing functions largely carry on. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, historical shutdowns showed no broad halt to intake or processing of adjustment of status cases. In practical terms, that means applicants submitting the Form I-485—the application to register permanent residence or adjust status—should still prepare and file as planned. USCIS field offices remain open for fee-funded services, and biometrics appointments and interviews continue as scheduled unless otherwise noted on official notices.

Why USCIS continues to operate during a shutdown

USCIS’s continued operation during shutdowns flows from its funding structure. Filing fees—paid by applicants—support the bulk of the agency’s workload. That financial setup allows USCIS to keep receiving and processing many forms even as other agencies furlough staff.

For adjustment applicants, this has practical value:
– USCIS will accept new filings, issue receipt notices, and move cases along in its normal fee-funded channels.
– Application Support Centers continue to handle fingerprints and photos.
– Field offices remain open for interviews that are part of the adjudicative process.

While case-by-case timing can vary, the general rule holds: the doors stay open, and the work continues.

What does pause elsewhere mean for applicants?

The picture is not uniform across the federal landscape. Some immigration-related components that depend on yearly appropriations—most notably the Department of Labor (DOL) and the federal E-Verify system—do suspend operations during a shutdown. These pauses don’t stop Form I-485 filings, but they can indirectly slow certain employment-based immigration pathways that connect to DOL certifications or employer verification steps. For family-based adjustment applicants and others who don’t rely on DOL steps, the shutdown’s effect is typically limited.

Department of Labor (DOL) impacts

• DOL stops processing Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) and Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) requests during a shutdown.
• This creates downstream delays for employment-based petitions that require those certifications.
• If your case hinges on a pending DOL certification, expect a standstill until funding is restored and the agency reopens.

E-Verify impacts

• E-Verify goes offline during shutdowns. Employers can’t start or manage E-Verify cases while the system is down.
• This does not block Form I-485 filings or USCIS processing, but it affects employer HR workflows for onboarding.
• Employers generally pick up pending verifications once the system returns online.
• Official E-Verify information: E-Verify

USCIS fee-funded operations remain open

The central point for anyone considering adjustment of status is straightforward: USCIS stays open and accepts Form I-485 filings during a government shutdown. Applicants can continue to prepare and send complete packages with the required fees and supporting evidence. Service centers and lockboxes keep functioning, and local offices proceed with biometrics appointments and interviews set by prior notices.

Practical guidance:
– If an interview or biometrics letter instructs an applicant to appear on a date that falls during a shutdown, the instruction stands unless USCIS issues a specific reschedule notice.
– A shutdown is not a reason to hold back an adjustment application if a filing deadline approaches.
– Always use the latest official form edition and instructions posted by USCIS to avoid rejections. The authoritative page for Form I-485 is here: Form I-485

Ripple effects to plan for

Even though USCIS continues working, shutdowns cause real delays elsewhere, and these can ripple into immigration planning.

• PERM and LCA pauses freeze employer-side steps that are prerequisites for some employment-based immigration filings.
• E-Verify downtime delays employer verification workflows, which can affect onboarding timing.
• These pauses do not cancel cases; they extend timelines until the affected agency resumes operations.

Consider a typical employment-based path:
1. Employer files PERM with DOL.
2. While PERM is pending, a shutdown causes DOL to stop processing.
3. The PERM remains frozen until funding returns — no progress is made during the downtime.
4. USCIS processes continue for fee-funded parts, but PERM-dependent steps remain stalled.

Biometrics and interviews

• Biometrics services continue during shutdowns. Applicants who receive appointment notices should attend as instructed.
• Adjustment interviews also remain on the calendar. These appointments confirm eligibility, review originals, and resolve questions.
• Bring original documents and requested items to interviews and biometrics as you would normally.
• The shutdown does not replace or postpone these requirements unless USCIS sends a new notice.

Practical considerations for applicants and employers

For applicants:
– You can file Form I-485 during a government shutdown, and USCIS will accept and process your case.
– Prepare a complete package: correct form version, signatures, supporting documents, and fees.
– If your adjustment relies on DOL certifications (PERM/LCA) that are pending, plan for delays outside USCIS’s control.

For employers:
– Expect LCAs and PERM-related work to pause at DOL.
– E-Verify will be unavailable for new and pending verifications during the shutdown; catch-up occurs once it returns.
– Maintain immigration filing plans aligned with USCIS’s ongoing operations, but build buffers for DOL and E-Verify delays.

Key takeaways

• USCIS continues most fee-funded services during a government shutdown. Form I-485 filings are accepted and processed; biometrics and interviews generally proceed.
• DOL (LCAs/PERM) and E-Verify pause during a shutdown, creating potential delays for employment-based cases and employer onboarding.
• If your case is independent of DOL steps, you can proceed with confidence. If it depends on DOL or E-Verify, expect a possible hold until funding is restored.

VisaVerge.com reports that historical patterns in previous funding lapses reinforce this message: Form I-485 filings continue; USCIS remains open; DOL and E-Verify pause. Applicants should rely on official USCIS resources for the latest form editions and filing guidance: Form I-485.

Because USCIS’s fee-funded model is designed to continue during funding lapses, applicants who meet their filing windows and attend scheduled appointments help keep cases moving even when parts of the federal government are shut down. At the same time, keep expectations realistic: any action that requires a shuttered agency will wait until that agency returns to work.