ARTICLE · 26 MARCH 2025

How Churches, Other Religious Organizations Can Sponsor Workers For U.S. Visas

Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm

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Churches and religious institutions can use certain visa options to sponsor foreign national workers, ensuring that they can fill roles such as ministers, missionaries, religious instructors and more.

GlobalImmigration

Meredith W. Barnette

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Churches and religious institutions can use certain visa options to sponsor foreign national workers, ensuring that they can fill roles such as ministers, missionaries, religious instructors and more.

The following blog will outline and discuss the available nonimmigrant and immigrant visa categories available for religious workers.

Nonimmigrant visa options for religious workers

R-1 religious worker visa

The R-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa available to foreign nationals seeking to temporarily enter the United States to work as a minister or to perform a religious vocation or occupation.

Foreign nationals must meet the below criteria in order to be eligible for an R-1 religious worker visa:

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