meredith and zac

this is not good news... from the website posted:
"While the diplomatic and security aspects of the Department of State (DOS) operations would continue, visa applications would likely not be processed in the event of a shutdown. It is anticipated that the consulates will not be open for visa appointments and processing. Thus, depending upon the duration of such an event, individuals could be stranded abroad with no way of obtaining required travel documents. The same is true for the processing of U.S. passports. "
But for those of you still in the USCIS.. you're okay:
"The USCIS is expected to continue to adjudicate benefits applications and petitions. This is possible because these operations are funded by the filing fees that are submitted with the various applications and petitions. "

i'm not sure what you are trying to say... but i can tell you that i am american and am planning on having a marriage "ceremony" that is as far from "proper" as you can get. my british fiance and i have a plan that he will arrive on april 1st and we will get married on wednesday, april 6th (wednesdays are the only day the courthouse conducts marriages). it will not be the end of the world if something changes this. he would have to pay through the nose to re-book his flight, sure, but that is a risk we take for trying to make a plan. we are planning because we want to be together as soon as possible. of course you make some sort of a plan, why wouldn't you? and if something unexpected occurs, you adapt.
i'm just trying to convey that anyone who is doing more than the courthouse thing needs to do quite a bit more planning than that.. and as you can see, even we, minimalist marriage as it is, have something of a plan. maybe there are a handful of people on this site who waited to book a flight until they had their visa in hand.. after i complete this process, it would be so easy for me to say to someone don't plan anything until you have your visa! but i know that realistically that is very difficult to do. so, i will help them work through the issues instead of throwing stones

oh c'mon.. we know we shouldn't make plans, but everyone does! if you are having a proper ceremony, there's no way it could come together by the 90 day deadline! sure, maybe some people really are doing everything at the last minute... but i would imagine that if you are on visa journey and going through this process, then you are one of the think-ahead, planning types. we have no choice but to make plans.. sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.. but there's no reason chastise anyone for trying to get all the information they can so that they can have at least some idea of time frames! we are here to support each other, not step on each other, once we have made it successfully through this process. i have been seeing a lot of stepping on other people lately and it is driving me crazy. i imagine that to all of the veterans, we newbies seem like blubbering idiots.. but no one was born knowing everything about the immigration process! we are all blubbering idiots at one time or another...

i'm actually worrying about this too... if the band aid lasts til the 15th (our interview date) we might be ok.... but did it go into effect yesterday?

Embassies and Consulates will not shut down even in a government shut down. The President by executive order can keep certain departments of the government operating regardless, one of which is the diplomatic corp.
Other obvious ones are homeland security, FBI, etc.
Anything to do with security and protection of citizens abroad does not close down.
Many people here think an Embassy or Consulate is strictly there for VISA or relations with another country, when the actual function is to help American Citizens abroad.