The federal government shutdown that started earlier this week has already affected the country in many ways.

While the Immigration Service appears to operating “business as usual,” many other federal agencies are not functioning normally.                       

If YOU, YOUR loved one, or YOUR employee is an immigrant, read on for more details for what immigrants must know about Shutdown Effect:

H-1B Visas.   If you are a first time applicant for an H-1B, the shutdown will cause potential problems for you.  First time H-1Bs will be delayed, as the Labor Department needs to dictate the proper wage for the visa petitions to be processed.  Thus, both immigrants seeking H-1Bs, as well as their employers, suffer.

Immigration Court.  The non-detained dockets are on hold until the shutdown ends.  This means that a court system, which already has huge delays, will encounter even greater wait times to move the hearings along.  Hundreds of thousands await their day in Immigration Court.  If you are waiting for a trial, you may be waiting a lot longer.

Visa processing.  Tens of thousands of visa applications filed all over the globe every day will be slowed down, due to the shutdown.  Separation of immigrants from their families and employers will be prolonged.

The shutdown may be over before the end of October, according to experts.

But the impact of this shutdown on Immigrants – and those with whom they live and work – is going to be felt for a lot longer.