U.S. Government Shutdown, Day 2 — What’s Open, What’s Closed, and Why It Matters to Ghana

The U.S. federal government entered a shutdown on Oct 1 after Congress failed to pass funding, furloughing hundreds of thousands of workers and freezing select state-bound funds. Talks remain stalled.

Open (for now)

• USCIS (immigration benefits): Largely operational (fee-funded).
• U.S. embassies/consulates: Passport & visa services continue while fees and carryover funds last (State Dept. guidance).
• Federal courts: Operating through Oct 17 using fee balances.

Limited or paused

• E-Verify: Offline nationwide; employers can’t open new cases.
• Labor Dept. filings (LCA/PERM/FLAG): Suspended, causing visa delays tied to DOL steps.

Why Ghana should care

• Visas/Study/Work: Appointments continue but plan for processing delays if the lapse drags on.
• Currencies & trade: Shutdown headlines tend to boost USD safe-haven demand; watch cedi and commodity pricing.

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Source: raylizaghana.com