US Shutdown Confirmed: Abuja Embassy Keeps Visa, Passport Services Running Despite DC Impasse

The United States federal government officially entered a new shutdown at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, after lawmakers in Washington failed to pass the necessary appropriations bills to fund federal agencies for the new fiscal year. This fiscal impasse marks the first lapse in government funding in nearly seven years and the third such episode under the Trump presidency, yet the US Embassy in Nigeria has again moved swiftly to quell immediate public anxiety, assuring the populace that routine visa and passport services for Nigerian citizens will continue without interruption. The move is a crucial relief for the thousands of travellers, particularly students preparing for spring enrollments and professionals with critical travel plans, who had feared the familiar gridlock in Washington would once more halt critical consular services.

The continued operation of the U.S. Embassy’s consular section is primarily insulated by its unique funding structure. Unlike many other federal agencies that rely on annual congressional appropriations, visa and passport services are financed almost entirely through the application and processing fees paid by applicants themselves. This crucial, self-sustaining financial buffer allows the consular section to operate during the domestic funding lapse. The Embassy confirmed in a public notice that “Scheduled passport and visa transit services in the United States and at U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits,” though it cautioned that its official social media channels would see limited updates, reserved only for urgent security and safety information. This statement underscores that core services, essential for facilitating legitimate travel and ensuring the flow of commerce and education, are deemed too critical to halt.

However, a high-value assessment for Nigerian professionals and employers indicates potential, serious bottlenecks in the overall immigration process despite the Embassy’s efforts. The shutdown’s impact is not uniform across all federal departments, and those agencies dependent on annual government funding, such as the Department of Labor (DOL), have been forced to cease most operations. This stoppage is a critical point of concern for businesses and skilled workers because the DOL is responsible for processing Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) and PERM applications. These are mandatory preliminary steps for various employment-based visas, including the popular H-1B and E-3 categories. The halting of these services could create a significant processing backlog that will persist long after the shutdown ends, indirectly slowing down the final issuance of work-related visas even if the Department of State remains technically open. Furthermore, a protracted shutdown presents a long-term fiscal risk even to the fee-funded operations. Should the crisis be extended over many weeks, the accumulated fee revenue at some posts could become insufficient to cover the wages of essential staff and operational costs, potentially forcing a scale-back to emergency services only.

The current crisis stems from a deep partisan rift over the 2026 Fiscal Year budget. Key sticking points revolve around federal spending levels, foreign aid cuts, and, significantly, disputes over healthcare subsidies and reductions to key social programmes like Medicaid. This political fight echoes the tensions that have plagued previous funding deadlines and led to the current impasse. While the legislative branch struggles for a resolution, essential U.S. domestic services—such as the military, mail delivery via the U.S. Postal Service, and benefit programmes like Social Security and Medicare—are expected to remain operational as their funding is either mandatory or comes from separate tax receipts, insulating them from the current appropriations lapse. As Congress remains deadlocked, the Embassy has advised all concerned Nigerians to monitor the Department of State’s official website, travel.state.gov, for reliable, real-time updates regarding visa appointments and passport processing status, urging travellers to maintain vigilance despite the current assurances.