US to reduce visa wait times these workers

The US Department of Homeland Security has announced a rule change to reduce visa-related disruptions faced by foreign religious workers serving congregations across the United States. The move aims to shorten wait times abroad and allow churches, temples and mosques to retain pastors, priests, nuns, imams and rabbis who are already working in the country on temporary visas. DHS said the change will ease pressure on religious communities that depend on foreign-born clergy but face long delays in the green card process. Many such workers enter the US on R-1 visas, which allow them to serve temporarily while their applications for permanent residency remain pending. Key change to R-1 visa rule Under the new rule, DHS has removed the requirement that R-1 visa holders must remain outside the US for one year after reaching the five-year limit of their visa. Earlier, this limit was manageable because green cards were processed within that time. However, a change in 2023 significantly lengthened processing times, forcing many religious workers to leave the country. Now, while these workers will still need to depart the US after completing five years, they can apply to return immediately without waiting for a year abroad. “We are taking the necessary steps to ensure religious organizations can continue delivering the services that Americans depend on,” the DHS statement said. “Pastors, priests, nuns, and rabbis are essential to the social and moral fabric of this country. We remain committed to finding ways to support and empower these organizations in their critical work.” Faith groups and lawyers welcome move Immigration lawyers and faith leaders said the change will reduce uncertainty for congregations. The rule comes at a time when other immigration pathways have been tightened, even as DHS highlighted its commitment to religious freedom. “It’s a huge deal,” said Lance Conklin, a Maryland-based immigration attorney. “It would potentially allow people not to disrupt the organization by having someone have to leave for a year, because that’s a major imposition now.” The US Conference of Catholic Bishops described the move as a “truly significant step to support essential religious services in the United States.” In a joint statement, Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop Brendan Cahill said, “The value of the Religious Worker Visa Program and our appreciation for the efforts undertaken to support it cannot be overstated.” “Hallelujah!” said Olga Rojas of the Archdiocese of Chicago. “We’re happy the administration made this change. It is helpful to us so we don’t have to lose valued religious workers that are contributing so much to our parishes and schools.” Backlogs linked to 2023 policy shift Religious workers usually apply for green cards under the EB-4 category, which has an annual quota set by Congress. Demand often exceeds supply, leading to long queues. In March 2023, the State Department added migrant minors with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status into the same queue as clergy, sharply increasing wait times. The shift created new backlogs, affecting thousands of religious workers. In response, the Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and five priests filed a lawsuit in 2024 against DHS and other agencies. The case was withdrawn in 2025 after the government indicated it would act through rulemaking. “We’re getting the resolution we wanted, which is ultimately keeping the priests in the United States,” said Raymond Lahoud, the diocese’s attorney. “But the underlying issue is they still have to wait a decade for a green card. So the uncertainty continues until Congress will work together on comprehensive immigration reform.” A bipartisan bill introduced in 2025 seeks a similar fix by extending visas while green card applications are pending.