The impending government shutdown caused by a lack of budget agreements between the two parties will have affects in many realms of federal functioning. Unless the Obama Administration and the Republican caucus can come to terms over the budget the shut Friday April 8, when the temporary budget expires. The essential functions such as the military, border patrol and benefit payments won’t be affected. Things such as National Parks and Museums will close resulting in the loss of tourism dollars. Certain legal processes such as bankruptcy filings and Federal Housing loans will be disrupted.
Passport services except those of an emergency nature will halt. Visa and passport applications will be put on hold until the functioning resumes. The government shutdown 15 years ago didn’t affect the immigration application process as they depend on fees for but did affect roughly 20 to 30 thousand visa applications according to USA Today.
Visas are integral to the immigration process, as people who immigrate assisted by immigration lawyers must obtain visas to initiate citizenship applications. The shutdown will delay tourists and visa holders at entry points.
Citizenship applicants and immigration attorneys will still be able to appear in court but the issues with visas could cause them to see delays in filing their applications. For the person eager to reap the benefits of citizenship these delays will be frustrating to themselves and their immigration lawyers. With hope the shutdown may not even happen but everyone should be aware of the effects it will have on their daily lives.
