In May 2020, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) notified Congress of a massive projected budget shortfall that is threatening the agency's operations and the financial wellbeing of thousands of USCIS employees. USCIS has requested a $1.2 billion bailout from Congress to keep the agency afloat. Without this funding, USCIS claims that it will not have sufficient funds to maintain its operations through the end of the fiscal year (9/30/2020) or to fund its operations during the first quarter of FY2021.
USCIS has begun issuing furlough notices to its employees and anticipates that the agency will need to furlough approximately 13,400 employees starting August 3, 2020, if the agency does not receive funding from Congress. Employees may remain furloughed until October 1, 2020. Clearly, such a furlough will have a negative impact on USCIS case processing times.
This immigration alert is being sent only to company representatives. Please share with your foreign national staff as you see fit.
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