Passports, visas should not be impacted by government shutdown
The federal government shutdown reached day three on Friday, leaving travelers with upcoming trips abroad concerned over possible impacts on everything from passport processing to airport timing.
With Congress still at an impasse and failing to approve any congressional spending bills, the shutdown is likely to extend through the weekend.
Below, read what you should know about how the shutdown may or may not impact international travel, passport processing and more.
Does the government shutdown impact passports?
Those concerned about getting a new passport issued or an existing one renewed should know that passports and visas should not be directly impacted by the shutdown.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs, an agency within the State Department, which is responsible for issuing passports, is considered an essential service provider, so it will remain open during this time.
According to a list of frequently asked shutdown questions shared by several members of Congress this week, "Passport applications should still continue to be processed during a shutdown."
Both passports and visa operations are self-funded from the fees that Americans pay to process and receive them, and with processing times at their normal pre-pandemic turnaround speeds -- four to six weeks for routine delivery and two to three weeks for expedited delivery -- there is minimal chance of complications.
The U.S. Postal Service is independently funded and unaffected by the shutdown, so prospective travelers can continue to visit a designated post office for passport application appointments.
However, passport office locations inside other government-owned buildings could be closed or potentially inaccessible for the time being.
"The continuance of operations in such instances will be treated on a case-by-case basis by the Office of the Under Secretary for Management," the State Department said.
Adults 25 or older who have had a U.S. passport before no longer need to fill out or print a paper application, mail a check, or make an appointment following the rollout of the online renewal system from the State Department last fall.
Does the shutdown impact visas or immigration applications?
As several members of Congress noted this week, visa operations -- like passports -- are "fee-funded" and are not typically impacted by government shutdowns.
"Immigration court cases on the detained docket should still proceed during a lapse in congressional appropriations while non-detained docket cases will be reset for a later date when funding resumes," the FAQs sheet states. "The Department of Homeland Security estimates that Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement should retain the vast majority of their employees during a shutdown."
ABC News' Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.
