NEW DELHI– The U.S. Embassy in India on Wednesday said that passport and visa services will continue without interruption for now, even as a federal government shutdown in Washington halts many other services.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the Embassy said: “At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at U.S. 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.”
The reassurance came as the U.S. government entered its first shutdown in seven years after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on a spending bill. The shutdown has cut funding for multiple federal departments, leaving thousands of government workers furloughed and halting a wide range of public services.
Negotiations in Washington broke down earlier this week. On Tuesday, Senate Democrats blocked Republican efforts to move forward with their spending plan. A day earlier, Democratic leaders met with President Donald Trump at the White House but failed to find common ground. Shortly after, Trump shared an AI-generated video on Truth Social mocking Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Trump has continued to fault Democrats for the impasse, saying he “didn’t see them bend even a little bit.” He also suggested mass layoffs could follow if the shutdown drags on. “When you shut it down, you have to do layoffs. We’d be laying off a lot of people,” Trump said.
Democrats have demanded a reversal of healthcare cuts included in what the GOP has dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” passed earlier this year. Republicans, however, have insisted they will not accept those terms and instead proposed a temporary extension of government funding until November 21.
Although Republicans control both the House and the Senate, they are still seven votes short of the 60 required to advance the bill in the upper chamber.
Essential services such as border security, law enforcement, and air traffic control remain operational, but programs such as food assistance, government-funded preschool, food inspections, and national park operations are expected to face significant disruptions. (Source: IANS)
