President Donald Trump signed a temporary funding law on September 2, 2026, keeping federal agencies running through December 11, 2026 and preventing a shutdown set to begin October 1.
The stopgap funding measure covers agencies whose budgets would otherwise lapse at the start of the new fiscal year. Its passage removes the immediate threat of disruptions at immigration offices and overseas diplomatic posts.
The law does not change immigration fees, forms, or filing requirements. It provides money for continued operations at roughly current levels.
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That distinction leaves existing case procedures in place. Applicants should continue using the forms and payment amounts already listed by the agency.
The House approved the measure on September 1 by a 370-48 vote. The Senate had passed it earlier, on August 8, by 90-6, sending the legislation to the president.
The agency’s fee-funded structure limits the shutdown effect
The funding extension protects operations, but the immediate effect on USCIS is narrower than it would be for agencies dependent on annual appropriations. The agency is mostly supported by fees paid by applicants and petitioners.
A widely cited estimate puts about 96 percent of its funding from application fees rather than congressional appropriations. That structure usually allows most filings and adjudications to continue during a federal shutdown.
The law therefore does not create a new benefit or accelerate a pending case. It removes a possible disruption while leaving ordinary processing in place.
Interviews and case reviews are not expected to face the immediate closures associated with a funding lapse. Processing delays can still arise from other agency workloads or operational conditions.
| Immigration operation | Effect of the funding law |
|---|---|
| USCIS filings | Existing filing procedures continue; the law does not change fees or forms |
| USCIS adjudications | Fee-funded benefits are expected to keep moving normally |
| Labor Condition Applications | Department of Labor functions can face delays if broader funding problems spill over |
| PERM labor certification | Processing can be delayed by related Department of Labor disruptions |
| U.S. consulates | Consular services should continue because the shutdown was averted |
The Department of Labor handles immigration-related functions that are not funded through USCIS application fees. Labor Condition Applications and PERM labor certification can become vulnerable if wider federal funding problems affect that department.
Those delays would arise downstream. They would not result from a new USCIS fee or form rule.
Separate visa issues could still shape processing abroad
The avoided shutdown does not resolve every issue affecting visa services overseas. Immigrant visa processing had been paused at embassies and consulates for training on public-charge guidance, a separate State Department matter.
That pause is distinct from the funding measure. The new law keeps diplomatic operations funded past October 1, but it does not itself settle the guidance or determine when that training-related pause ends.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan addressed another separate immigration issue on August 22, 2026. She struck down the January visa-suspension policy and called it “patently unlawful.”
The ruling and the training pause involve visa processing policy, not the temporary appropriations extension. Applicants with cases abroad may therefore need to follow both funding-related operating updates and post-specific visa notices.
The congressional measure currently runs only through December 11. Lawmakers would need to enact another funding measure or regular appropriations before that date to avoid a later lapse.
Applicants with pending benefits should check case notices and official appointment information, while employers should monitor any Labor Condition Application or PERM filings that depend on the Department of Labor. Processing times and fees are subject to change, so verify current information at uscis.gov.
