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Ministers and non-ministers in religious vocations and occupations may come to the U.S. temporarily to perform religious work. Below are the requirements and process for obtaining an R-1 Visa. |
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An R-1 nonimmigrant is a noncitizen who is coming to the United States temporarily to work at least part-time (an average of at least 20 hours per week) as a minister or in a religious vocation or occupation and be employed by one of the following:
To qualify, you must have been a member of a religious denomination having a bona fide non-profit religious organization in the United States for at least two years immediately before filing the petition. You can read more about the R-1 Visa process on the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Website or Travel.State.Gov. |
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Hiring Date A hire date should be determined (keeping MTD in mind) before submitting the R-1 Visa petition. Religious Occupation & Job Description The occupation and job description from the partner ministry should average at least 20 hours per week and include all religious duties that will be performed. Offer Letter An offer letter from Reliant should be included with the R-1 Visa petition. Salary Guidelines The R-Visa applicant will need to be fully funded before obtaining their R-1 Visa. The minimum wage should meet the prevailing wage guideline in the location where the R-1 Visa applicant will be living and working. |
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Please provide your Program Team with the following details to begin the R-1 Visa Petition process:
Please provide your Program Team with the following documents to begin the R-1 Visa Petition process:
Other documents needed (if applicable)
Documents needed from the Partner Ministry
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R-1 Visa Consultation Fee with Attorney: $175 R-1 Visa Non-Refundable Application Fee: $530 Expedited Premium Processing Fee: $1,685 + an extra $200 attorney fee (processes on average 15 business days instead of the estimated 2.5 months) |
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R-1 Visa holders must wait until 6 months before their R-Visa's expiration date to begin the renewal process. At that time, if the R-1 Visa holder worked full-time with consistent paid employment, Reliant may also pursue the I-360 religious worker green card sponsorship petition. |
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Your spouse and unmarried children under age 21 may apply for R-2 visas to accompany or join you to reside temporarily. You must demonstrate that you will be able to financially support your family in the United States. They are permitted to study while in the United States but are not authorized to accept employment. |