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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 an R-1 Visa petition. 

If you would like to discuss with Reliant the possibility of pursuing an R-1 visa for a potential employee, please contact the appropriate Program Team Lead.

General Eligibility

An To be eligible to submit an R-1 nonimmigrant is a noncitizen Visa petition, the individual will need to be a nonimmigrant/noncitizen foreign national 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:

  • A non-profit religious organization in the United States
  • A religious organization that a group tax exemption holder authorized to use its group tax exemption
  • A non-profit organization that is affiliated with a religious denomination in the United States

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 a church or ministry. The individual must have been affiliated with either the partner church or ministry that is in partnership with Reliant or must have been affiliated with Reliant in some capacity for at least two years immediately before filing the R-1 Visa petition.

You can read Read more about the R-1 Visa process on the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Website or Travel.State.Gov Website.

UI Expand
titleEmployment Details & Requirements

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 Reliant 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 The offer letter from Reliant should will be included with the R-1 Visa petition.

Salary GuidelinesThe

Ideally, the goal is for the R-1 Visa applicant will need to be fully funded with MTD funds before obtaining their R-1 Visa. The minimum wage should meet To help ensure approval, the applicant's salary should be an annual income of at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Reliant also desires that the applicant's salary meet the prevailing wage guideline in the location where the R-1 Visa applicant will be living and working. R-1 workers must receive a full salary and cannot be short-checked. 
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titleR-1 Visa Petition Costs

The R-1 Visa legal and application costs can be charged to the church or ministry partner project fund at Reliant or to the MTD account for which the applicant is responsible. If charged to the MTD account, the individual is responsible for raising funds for Reliant to cover these costs. 

Initial Attorney Consultation Fee: $175

Step 1: Employer's R-1 religious worker visa sponsorship petition filing

  • $2,500 Attorney fee (payable as an initial retainer of $1,250, remainder due on completion of filing the R-1 petition)
  • Optional $200 Attorney fee, if adding the expedited premium processing request
  • $460 USCIS gov't filing fee for R-1 (Increase to $510 on 4/1/2024)
  • $1,685 USCIS gov't filing fee for the OPTIONAL expedited premium processing (about two weeks response time)
  • Reimbursable Costs for copies and postage (billed at the end of the process)
  • Although the R-1 petition is submitted as thoroughly as possible, in the event of a Request For Evidence (RFE) from the U.S. gov’t, the preparation for RFE response is charged hourly up to $1,500.

OPTIONAL -- Any family's R-2 change of status filing in the U.S: 

  • $800 Attorney fee for the primary applicant
  • $150 per child, Attorney fee for any children's supplement form
  • $470 USCIS gov't filing fee for the primary R-2 applicant (as of 4/1/2024)
  • Reimbursable Costs for copies and postage (billed at very end of the process)

Step 2: Religious worker's visa processing with the US Embassy abroad --- for entry to the USA and international travel

  • $205 gov't visa application fee (per person)
  • $1,000 Attorney fee (optional & per person)
  • Reimbursable Costs for copies and postage
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titleDocuments & Details Reliant Needs for R-1 Visa Petition

Please provide your Program Team with The applicant will need to provide the following details to begin the R-1 Visa Petition process:

  • Permanent Home Country Address
  • Current U.S. Home Address
  • Do you have any other Visa, such as a J1/J1 Exchanged Visitor Visa? (if yes, provide a copy and include expiration dates)

Please provide your Program Team with the following documents to begin the R-1 Visa Petition process:

  • ResumeJob Description with the ministry focus area
  • Weekly work schedule & proposed weekly work hours
  • New Staff Training Certificate
  • Amount & type of compensation (including benefits)
  • Scanned copy of current passport, biographic information, and any US Visa pages*
  • Scanned copy of birth certificate*

Other documents needed (if applicable)

  • Scanned copy of any certificate of ministerial ordination, commissioning, or licensing*
  • Scanned copy of any ministerial licensesScanned copy of any religious degrees and academic transcripts*
  • Scanned copy of any certificate for religious training*
  • Scanned copy of the U.S. Social Security Card (front & back)
  • Scanned copy of marriage certificate (if necessary)

The Partner Ministry and Reliant will collect the following information:

  • Job Description with the ministry focus area (see Sample Job Description.docx and note below)
  • Weekly work schedule & proposed weekly work hours (see Sample Weekly Schedule.docx and note below)
  • Reliant New Staff Training Certificate of Completion
  • Amount & type of compensation (including benefits)

Documents needed from the Partner Ministry

  • Name & location of ministry worksite
  • Number of church/ministry members or employees
  • Date the applicant started attending established a relationship with the church/ministry (2-year minimum relationship required)
  • Why the applicant's position is needed
  • Letter from church/ministry confirming applicant's church membership and any ministry involvement
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titleR-1 Visa Petition Costs

*All foreign documents must be translated into English, and the documents in the original language need to be provided, with certified English translation. A notarized translation is not needed; anyone fluent in both languages may translate and provide this certificate of translation. See Sample certificate of translation.docx. 


Note
titleJob Description and Weekly Work Schedule

Religious study or training does not constitute a religious occupation for the R-1 visa purpose. Positions should include more hands-on experience and productive employment. General terms such as "character and personal development", "theological development", "professional development" all sound like study and/or training, so they should be avoided.  

Avoid using the word "support raising" as the USCIS may view it as an uncompensated self-supported missionary program which does not lead to a permanent resident sponsorship. By describing "networking," "vision sharing," etc., we distinguish this "salaried" position from "self-supported missionary R-1" because the actual donations do not directly go to the beneficiary but are channeled through Reliant in the staff accounts with Reliant's control in how and when to pay/compensate.

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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titleVisa Renewals

R-1 Visa holders must wait until 6 months before their R-Visa's expiration date to renew their R-1 visa status. They may begin the R-1 renewal process as early as 7 months before their current R-1 expiration. At that time, if the R-1 Visa holder worked full-time with consistent paid employment for two continuous years, Reliant may also pursue the I-360 religious worker green card sponsorship petition.

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titleR-2 Visas for Spouse & Children

The R-1 Visa applicant's spouse and unmarried children under age 21 may apply for R-2 visas to accompany or join them to reside temporarily. The R-1 Visa applicant must demonstrate that they will be able to can financially support their family in the United States. The R-1 Visa applicant's family is permitted to study while in the United States but is not authorized to accept employment. 

General Timeline

UI Steps
UI Step

Initial Attorney Consultation

Typically 1 week from the day of request, depending on the availability of the attendees

attendees: immigration attorney, Reliant HR, partner church/ministry representative, Program Team representative (optional), R-1 Visa applicant (optional)

UI Step

Gathering & Providing Required Documents to Reliant

Typically 1-2 months

UI Step

File for R-1 Religious Worker Visa Sponsorship Petition

General turnaround time is an estimated 2.5 to 3 months

Expedited premium processing (extra fee) turnaround time is typically 10 to 15 business days

R-1 Visa's are valid for 30 months before renewal, or extension is required

After 30 months, subsequent extensions for up to an additional 30 months can be requested. The total period of stay in the United States under the R-1 classification cannot exceed five years (60 months)

UI Step

R-1 Visa Extensions

An extension request should be made 1.5 months before the expiration date of the visa.

The extension process typically takes 2 months. 

UI Step

R-1 Visa Renewals

The renewal process can begin as early as 6 months before the expiration date of the visa.

The renewal process typically takes between 2 - 4 months.