USA Govt Shut Down - H1Bs Panic
This is the case. When the congress cannot agree on the budget, the government shuts down. Federal operations may stall or slow down in the absence of a resolution.
The complex aspect is that, even while U.S. consulates, like the one in chennai, are still open because of the ongoing visa costs, there is still a possibility of delays due to the wider effects.
In chennai, the average processing time for drop box applications is 12 days. However, the processing time may increase if the outage is prolonged.
Right now, people are stuck in this annoying middle ground, waiting and hoping that it won't cause too much disruption to their lives.
The closure may be over in a few days or weeks. In any case, it is difficult to maintain composure when data-faced with such uncertainty. Although there isn't a quick fix, the best anyone can do right now is to be aware and get ready for a lengthier wait.