United States: Stopgap Spending Measure Funds Government Through March 11 As Budget Negotiations Continue
February 18, 2022
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At a glance
- Another stopgap spending measure passed by Congress will fund the U.S. government through March 11, 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 February 18 and postpones the deadline to March 11.
- The stopgap bill also extends E-Verify and the Conrad 30 program through March 11.
The issue
A temporary spending measure passed by the U.S. Congress will fund the U.S. government – including immigration operations – through March 11, 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 February 18, 2022 and postpones the deadline to March 11. This is the third 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 March 11, 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), then on December 3, 2021, and most recently on February 18, 2022.
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 March 11, 2022, a government shutdown would occur. However, active negotiations continue and it is not unusual for Congress to continue passing successive short-term spending measures until a final agreement is reached.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
