Between visa bulletin retrogression and the program's repeated near-expirations, religious organizations sponsoring an EB-4 special immigrant worker already have enough to track. A Request for Evidence adds months to a process that's often already been years in the making. Most I-360 religious worker RFEs trace back to a small set of recurring...
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status — commonly called SIJS or SIJ — has long been one of the few immigration pathways specifically designed to protect children. Congress built this classification into federal law to give vulnerable immigrant youth a route to lawful permanent residence when their own family situation made that necessary. In...
In a significant policy shift, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an interim final rule that removes the long-standing one-year foreign residency requirement for certain R-1 religious workers who reach the maximum five-year period of stay in the United States. This change is effective immediately and is expected to...
Religious organizations across the United States are experiencing increased difficulty obtaining green cards for ministers and other religious workers. Many churches, temples, mosques, and faith-based nonprofits are facing leadership gaps as older clergy retire faster than new leaders can be trained or sponsored. As demand grows, the employment-based immigration process for religious...
The EB-4 visa category has long been a critical pathway for certain special immigrants, including religious workers. However, increasing demand and persistent backlogs have left many applicants in uncertain immigration statuses, especially those with expiring R visas awaiting an adjustment of status (AOS).
The EB-4 backlog is complex, but...
With increased immigration enforcement efforts under the current administration, schools and academic institutions must be prepared to handle visits from federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The recent rescission of “sensitive locations” protections, combined with the expanded authority of federal agents such as the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals,...
Religious organizations seeking to sponsor foreign workers in the United States under the R-1 religious worker status often navigate complex legal waters. A recent court ruling underscores the critical importance of understanding and complying with immigration laws and regulations, especially during the sponsorship process.
The Case OverviewUSCIS today issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual clarifying whether temporary protected status (TPS) beneficiaries are eligible for adjustment of status under section 245(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). INA 245(a) requires an alien to have been inspected and admitted or inspected and paroled into the United States, unless exempt...
