Religious Ministers or Workers

Who qualifies?

Religious ministers or workers may qualify for the religious worker classification R visa if, for the two years immediately preceding the time of application, they have been a member of a religious denomination which has a bona fide nonprofit religious organization in the United States. Bona fide religious organizations in the United States must have tax exempt status as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Persons seeking R status must plan to enter the United States solely to:

• Carry on the vocation of a minister of the religious denomination; or
• Work in a professional capacity in a religious vocation or occupation or organization within the denomination; or
• Work in a religious vocation or occupation for an organization within the denomination, or for a bona fide organization which is affiliated with the religious denomination. Bona fide religious organizations in the United States must have tax exempt status as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Sponsoring employers must file an I-129 petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for aliens for whom R-1 nonimmigrant status is sought and register the petition into the State Department’s Petition Information Management Service (PIMS) system. Self-petitions will not be accepted.

The initial admission period for ministers and religious workers entering the United States in R status is limited to three years. Extensions may be granted for a total stay not to exceed five years.

Spouses, Children and Partners

Spouses and/or children under the age of 21 who wish to accompany or join the principal visa holder in the United States for the duration of his/her stay require derivative R-2 visas. Spouses and/or children who do not intend to reside in the United States with the principal visa holder, but visit for vacations only, may be eligible to apply for visitor (B-2) visas.  The spouse of an exchange visitor may not work in the United States on a derivative R-2.