Updated February 13, 2026

You may have seen news about the US government shutdown. Depending on your home country, you might be wondering what that means and whether it affects immigration processes.

A government shutdown in the US occurs when Congress does not pass a budget or temporary funding bill by a set deadline. This can result in partial closures of federal agencies and temporary pauses in certain government services.

In early February, Congress passed legislation funding most government agencies through September 30, 2026. However, funding for the Department of Homeland Security was only authorized through February 13, 2026. After this date, there will be a partial government shutdown until Congress approves additional funding.

Below is the agency-specific information:

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
  • CBP officers will continue to carry out inspections at U.S. borders and ports of entry during a government shutdown.
  • CBP should also continue to process TN applications at the border.
     
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
  • ICE oversees the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) program, which is funded by SEVIS fees and is not affected by the government shutdown. Emory University can continue to issue F-1 I-20s and J-1 DS-2019s. 
     
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • USCIS is a fee-based government agency, and therefore, the government shutdown should not impact their normal operations. Applications (such as F-1 OPT applications) should continue to be adjudicated.

ISSS is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates on this page as they become available.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact your ISSS advisor if you have any questions.