Who are religious workers?
Religious workers are preachers of religion or those who work for a particular religion. These religious workers are generally authorized by some religious organization, which wants that worker to come to the United States and perform a religious activity as required by its recognized religious authority.
The following are the requirements that would qualify an individual as a religious worker:
- A religious worker needs to be a member of the particular organization (which qualifies as a religious organization as per the US religious workers immigration guidelines) for at least 2 years
- He or she needs to be a preacher or minister of that religious organization
- The religious organization needs to be a recognized non-profit institution with a tax exempt status
The types of Religious Visas:
Religious workers who intend to go to the United States are required to obtain a religious worker visa. This visa could either be a temporary visa or a legal permanent visa. The temporary visas are given an ‘R’ status and the permanent visas provide the individuals with an ‘SD’ status.
A further classification of the ‘R’ category (Non immigrant Visa) is as follows:
- R-1 Visa – The R-1 visa is provided to religious workers, allowing them to legally work in the US for religious purposes for a time period of up to 5 years.
- R-2 Visa – Individuals with an R-1 visa may apply for an R-2 visa, which would allow them to bring their spouses and unmarried children who are under the age of 21.
It is not permissible for individuals with an R-2 visa to work in the United States. They may only be in the country as visitors. If a religious worker wishes to stay beyond a period of 5 years, he or she has to depart from the United States for a period of 1 year. Thereafter he or she may apply for a green card.
Visa for religious workers needs the following documentation to be completed:
A Form-129 application is required for an R-1 visa. Additional documents may be required as part of the Form-129 application. The individual will also be required to provide proof that he or she is employed with a non-profit organization. Recommendation letters may be requested from the individual.
An ‘SD’ Immigrant visa:
An SD visa enables a person to stay in the United States permanently. However, he or she would have some restrictions.
The following people could be denied of an SD visa:
- Individuals with communicable diseases.
- Individuals with a dangerous mental or physical disorder.
- Drug Addicts
- Individuals who have committed some criminal activity
It is recommended that an individual seek help from an attorney to properly apply for a visa for religious workers.