Religious Visas (R-1 and R-2)

All applicants for visas to perform religious work in the U.S. are scheduled for appointments for an interview on Monday through Thursday afternoons., except Polish and American holidays. They can make this appointment by following the procedures outlined in the How to Apply section of this site. They must have the electronic application form DS-156 filled in on-line.

Applicants must present the documents described in Basic documents and photographs.

R applicants must be prepared to present to the consular officer any or all of the following documentation to verify that the applicant and the religious organization qualify for R status:

(1) Proof of religious organization’s tax-exempt status or eligibility for tax-exempt status

(2) A letter from an authorized official of the specific unit of the employing organization certifying:

1. That if the applicant's religious membership was maintained, in whole or in part, outside the United States, the foreign and United States religious organizations belong to the same religious denomination;
   
2. That, immediately prior to the application for an R visa, the alien has been a member of the religious denomination for the required two- year period;
   
3. The arrangements for remuneration, including the amount and source of salary, other types of compensation such as food and housing, and any other benefits to which a monetary value may be affixed, and a statement whether such remuneration shall be in exchange for services rendered;
   
4. The name and location of the specific organizational unit of the religious denomination or affiliate for which the applicant will be providing services; and
   
5. If the alien is to work for an organization which is affiliated with a religious denomination, a description of the nature of the relationship between the two organizations:
   
6. Evidence of the religious organization's assets and methods of operation;
   
7. The organization's papers of incorporation under applicable state law.

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.