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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: October 1, 2013
The US Congress has failed to agree a budget by the October 1 deadline. As a result, the federal government shutdown has begun, impacting "non-essential" FEDERALLY funded services. A blanket exception exists for employees to support activities that "provide for the national security". A vast majority of the Department of Homeland Security employees are expected to be exempt from the shutdown, including uniformed agents and officers at the country's borders and ports of entry as well USCIS officers in processing centers nationwide. E-Verify has shut down so employers are unable to verify the work authorization of new employees. In addition, the Department of Labor services that impact hiring foreign national employees will be impacted as employees responsible for data and labor statistics are non-essential. The Social Security Administration will continue to provide some services and benefits at Social Security field offices although no new or replacement SSN cards will be issued. We recommend that students and scholars not visit the SSA until all services have been restored.
All agencies with independent sources of funding remain open, including the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Reserve (IRS), and the U.S. Department of State Consular Services. Foreign visa and U.S. passport issuance should not be impacted in the short term unless the services are conducted in a federal building that is unsupported due to the shutdown. A long term shutdown will likely have an impact on the availability of visa services.
Additional updates will be added to this announcement as they become available.
