TN Visas Should Cont. to be Available During Any Gov. Shutdown

As of this writing, Congress and the Trump administration have not yet come to an agreement on a funding bill. If they do not do so by midnight tonight, parts of the federal government will shut down starting on Saturday.

In the event of a partial government shut down, the processing of TN visa applications generally should not be impacted:

  • USCBP, which adjudicates TN visa status applications filed by Canadian citizens at the U.S. border, provides “essential” functions, and would continue to operate during any shut down.

  • USCIS, which adjudicates I-129 TN petitions, is funded by filing fees and is for the most part not reliant on appropriated funds, and should continue to process TN petitions. See USCIS Statement.

  • USDOS, which is responsible for TN visa applications filed at a U.S. Embassy by citizens of Mexico, is also fee-funded, and should continue processing during a shut-down. See USDOS Statement.

Brian D. Zuccaro, Esq.Border Processing, I-129 Processing, DS-160 Processing