R-1 Non-Immigrant Religious Worker Visa
Foreign nationals who are in religious vocations and occupations, such as Ministers and Non-Ministers, may come to the U.S. temporarily for the purpose of performing religious work. The R-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa category for foreign nationals temporarily coming to the United States to work as religious workers.
Who qualifies for the R-1 Visa category?
To qualify for an R-1 visa, the applicant must be coming to the United States to work as a minister or in a religious vocation or occupation.
The applicant must be affiliated with a non-profit religious organization in the United States, such as a church, mosque, temple, or religious mission.
The religious organization must have a bona fide non-profit religious organization tax-exempt status in the United States.
Family of R-1 Visa holder
Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age of R-1 visa holders may be eligible for R-2 visas, allowing them to accompany the religious worker to the United States. However, R-2 visa holders are not authorized to work in the United States.
Initially, R-1 visas are typically granted for an initial period of up to 30 months. Extensions of stay may be granted in increments of up to 30 months, with a maximum total stay of 5 years in the United States.
Ministers and members of religious denominations seeking temporary admission to the United States for brief periods may be eligible to be admitted as B-1 business visitors if their activities are allowed under the B-1 nonimmigrant visitor category.
Yes, there is a pathway for Ministers and non-ministers in religious vocations and occupations to immigrate to or adjust their status in the U.S. for the purpose of performing religious work in a full-time compensated position. However, the minister EB-4 non-minister special immigrant religious worker program will end on Mar. 8, 2024. Special immigrants entering the U.S. solely to carry on the vocation of a minister and their accompanying spouses and children are not affected by the sunset date.
Practice areas
We offer consultations, representation, assistance and advice in the following areas:
- Employment-Based Immigration (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4)
- Investment-Based Immigration (E-1, E-2- EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program)
- Family-Based Immigration (Immigration Petitions to Immediate Relatives/Marriage based Green Cards)
- K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa
- K-3 Visa for Spouse
- US Green Card (Permanent Residence)- Adjustment of Status/Consular Processing
- Replacement of Green Card/Renewal of Green Card
- Permanent Labor Certification (PERM)
- Change of Status and Extension of Status
- TN NAFTA Professionals (Canada/Mexico)
- Visas for Temporary Visitors
- B-1 Temporary Business Visitor Visa
- B-2 Visa (Visiting family and friends, tourism and vacation, medical treatment, transiting the US)
- Crew Visas(C-1/D)
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Temporary Non-Immigrant Work Visas (H-1B, L-1A, L-1B, O-1, R-1, P-1A, P-1B, P-2, P-3, Q, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B,H-3, I, E-1, E-2, E-3)
- Form I-9 Compliance
- H-1B Specialty Occupation: H-1B Cap, H-1B Extensions, H-1B Transfers, H-1B Amendments, Cap Exempt H-1B, H-1B for Fashion Models
- H-1B1 Visa for Chileans/Singaporeans
- Registration to H-1B Cap
- Responding to H-1B RFEs
- L-1A Intracompany Transferee
- L-1A New Office
- Hague Adoption Certificate or Custody Declaration
- L-1B Specialized Knowledge
- R-1 Religious worker
- O-1 Extraordinary Ability or Achievements in Sciences, Education, Business, Athletics/Sports and Arts
- EB-1 Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, Multinational Manager or Executive
- EB-2 National Interest Waivers
- Students Visas and Exchange Visitors and Employment (F-1, M-1, OPT, CPT, STEM OPT, J-1, Conrad 30 Waiver Program)
- Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition
- A, G, and NATO Visas and Renewing A, G, and NATO Visas in the United States
- Advance Parole
- Parole under Uniting for Ukraine
- Citizenship for Military Personnel & Family Members
- Immigration Relief for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Other Crimes (VAWA, U visa, T visa)
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
- Consular Matters (DS-160, DS-260, Waivers)
- US Citizenship and Naturalization
- Application for Citizenship Certificate
- Application for Naturalization
- Replacement of Citizenship/Naturalization certificates
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS)- Nepal, Nicaragua, Haiti, Honduras, Sudan, El Salvadore, Ukraine, and Afghanistan-EAD and EAD extensions
- Reporting Birth of U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizen Nationals Abroad - Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA)
- U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child
- Renunciation of U.S. Nationality Abroad
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