Emergency visas only if US govt shuts down

Embassies and consulates would operate at lower level and no regular visas will be processed.

As the Obama Administration braced itself for an imminent shutdown,the White House has said that all US missions abroad would work at a low capacity and only emergency visa applications would be processed during that period.

8220;Embassies and consulates will continue to operate at lower levels of service. Only emergency passports and no regular passports and visas will be processed,8221; the Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Jeffrey Zients,told reporters at a White House news conference.

8220;In the event of a shutdown,the State Department will provide limited emergency visas only. And in the event that we should have to cancel visa appointments,we8217;ll make every effort to notify visa applicants as soon as possible,8221; the State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Toner advised visa applicants to check their website 8212; travel,state and government,before their scheduled interviews.

Though hopeful that a government shutdown will be averted,the Pentagon released guidance to help plan for an orderly process if a shutdown becomes necessary,Deputy Defence Secretary William J Lynn said in a memo.

8220;The President and the Defence Secretary Robert Gates know that the uncertainty of the current situation puts federal employees in a difficult position and are very much aware that a shutdown would impose hardships on our military and civilian personnel as well as our military families,8221; he wrote.

Earlier in the day,Zients said if there is a shutdown it would have very real effects on the services the American people rely on,as well as on the economy as a whole.

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8220;In terms of how a shutdown would play out,generally

speaking,services that are critical to safety of life and protection of property are excepted from a shutdown. Services that have alternative sources of funding,such as advanced appropriations,mandatory funds,or user fees,can also stay open,8221; he said.

Besides impacting various wings of the Government,Zients said customer service will be significantly impacted across the federal government.

8220;US Postal Service would continue mail collection,delivery,and other operations. Custom and Border Protection activity would continue. Military operations in Afghanistan,Libya,and Iraq would continue. NASA satellite missions currently in operation would continue,8221; he said.

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Most federal student aid operations would continue. Core federal law enforcement such as FBI and US Marshals would continue,as would prison and detention operations,he added.