Article Summary

A US government shutdown has significantly disrupted H-1B and employment-based Green Card applications by halting Labor Condition Application (LCA) and PERM processing at the Department of Labor. This has led to stalled H-1B filings, frozen hiring plans, and increased uncertainty for thousands of overseas technology professionals, particularly from India, who face potential work gaps and legal status issues. Immigration attorneys note that employers are exploring alternative visas or international options, with concerns that the shutdown, combined with new H-1B fees, could lead some companies to cease immigration sponsorship.

TNP AI: Key Insights

This news is critical for skilled professionals and their employers because it details how government operational delays directly impede legal immigration processes, creating immediate career instability, financial hardship, and potential legal status issues for visa holders. For businesses, it translates to halted hiring, disrupted workforce planning, and a potential long-term chilling effect on sponsoring foreign talent, impacting innovation and competitiveness.

The core issue is that while USCIS might be operational, the Department of Labor (DOL) is not, meaning critical prerequisites like LCAs and PERM certifications cannot be processed. This creates a bottleneck that effectively stops all H-1B and many Green Card filings, irrespective of USCIS's status. The 'extraordinary circumstances' relief from USCIS is discretionary and not a guaranteed solution, leaving workers vulnerable. The article implicitly flags the ongoing nature of the shutdown as the critical 'deadline' or stage, as its resolution is necessary for processes to resume.