United States: Stopgap Spending Measure Funds Government Through February 18 As Budget Negotiations Continue
December 3, 2021
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At a Glance
- A stopgap spending measure passed by Congress will fund the U.S. government through February 18, 2022, as FY 2022 federal budget negotiations continue. President Biden is expected to sign the measure.
- Passage of the bill avoids a government shutdown on December 4 and postpones the deadline to February 18.
- The stopgap bill also extends E-Verify and the Conrad 30 program through February 18.
The issue
A temporary spending measure passed by the U.S. Congress will fund the U.S. government – including immigration operations – through February 18, 2022 while Congress continues to debate the FY 2022 federal budget. The bill now goes to President Biden, who is expected to sign the measure. Passage of the temporary spending bill prevents a shutdown of the federal government on December 4, 2021 and postpones the deadline to February 18. This is the second stop-gap measure to keep the U.S. government open as FY 2022 budget negotiations continue.
Temporary extension of expiring immigration programs
The bill extends two expiring immigration programs through February 18, 2022 – the E-Verify program and the Conrad 30 program for foreign medical graduates working in underserved areas. These programs were initially set to expire on September 30, 2021 (end of FY 2021), and then on December 3.
What the short-term measure means for employers
Passage of the stopgap measure means that there should be no interruption of federal operations for now. If Congress has not passed FY 2022 appropriations legislation or a further temporary measure by February 18, 2022, a government shutdown would occur. However, it is not unusual for Congress to continue passing successive short-term spending measures as budget negotiations continue.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
