US Embassy Confirms Passport and Visa Services Will Continue During Government Shutdown

New Delhi:

The US Embassy in India released a statement on Wednesday reassuring applicants that passport and visa services will remain operational despite the ongoing government shutdown in Washington.

Through a communication shared on the social media platform X, the US Embassy in India declared, "At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at US Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits. We will not update this account until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information. For information on our services and operating status, visit http://travel.state.gov."

This announcement comes in the wake of the US government shutdown that began after legislators failed to reach an agreement on a funding bill. The shutdown results in funding cuts for US government departments and suspends numerous federal services.

On Tuesday, Democrats opposed Republicans' efforts to advance the spending bill in the Senate. Democratic leadership had met with US President Donald Trump on Monday, but negotiations ended without resolution. Following the unsuccessful meeting, Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social that mocked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Trump continued to attribute blame to Democrats on Tuesday, stating that he "didn't see them bend even a little bit." He additionally warned about potential federal workforce reductions during the shutdown, saying, "When you shut it down, you have to do layoffs, we'd be laying off a lot of people."

Democrats have insisted on reversing healthcare cuts included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" passed earlier this year. Meanwhile, Republicans have maintained they would not yield to Democratic demands and had suggested extending funding until November 21.

Although Republicans hold majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, they are seven votes short in the Senate, as the funding legislation requires 60 votes to pass. This marks the first US government shutdown in seven years, with the previous one occurring during Trump's first term and lasting 35 days—the longest in American history.

Essential services including border protection, law enforcement, and air-traffic control will continue to operate, while food assistance programs, government-funded pre-school, food inspectors, and national park operations may face significant disruptions.