Bill would allow foreign-born religious workers to continue to perform essential services in American communities.
Click HERE to watch and HERE to download video of Senator Collins’ introducing the bill on the Senate floor.
Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Jim Risch (R-ID) today introduced the Religious Workforce Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to allow religious workers already present in the U.S. on temporary R-1 status with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency. Representatives Mike Carey (R-OH-15) and Richard Neal (D-MA-1) today introduced an identical companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under current law, religious workers in R-1 nonimmigrant status are limited to five years in the U.S. After five years, these religious workers must return to their home countries for at least one year before they can come back to the U.S., costing churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious organizations the beloved religious workers on whom their congregations, and the local communities that they serve, have grown to depend. The Religious Workforce Protection Act would provide a targeted fix to this problem by granting the DHS Secretary the authority to extend temporary R-1 nonimmigrant status for religious workers past five years until they receive a decision on their permanent residence application.
“When Maine parishes where I attend mass started losing their priests, I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state. Recently, three Catholic parishes in rural Maine–Saint Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville–were left without priests for months because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending. Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue to live and serve here in the United States while their applications for permanent residency are being fully processed,” said Senator Collins. “Many Mainers and Americans cannot imagine their lives without the sense of community and services their local religious organizations provide—with this legislation, I hope they never have to.”
“I first started hearing about churches losing trusted priests through my Parish, St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, where we have had priests who were immigrants, and often have visiting priests, some of whom are immigrants as well. But as it turns out, this problem is not unique to Virginia—it’s impacting religious congregations of many faiths, all across the country. That’s why I’m glad to partner with Senator Collins on this bipartisan legislation that puts forth a commonsense fix that will help ensure that our communities can continue to benefit from dedicated religious workers from around the world,” said Senator Kaine.
“Idaho’s religious communities risk losing up to a quarter of their clergy due to immigration backlogs,” said Senator Risch. “By introducing the Religious Workforce Protection Act, we offer an important fix—ensuring religious workers who are integral to Idaho congregations can continue their service without interruption during lengthy visa processing delays.”
“Religious organizations across the country continuously rely on religious workers to help meet the needs of their communities,” said Congressman Carey. “That’s why I’m proud to lead this common sense, bipartisan legislation to ensure that places of worship can operate without disruptions despite the current backlog in EB-4 processing times.”
"For years, my office has worked with religious organizations across western Massachusetts to help bring religious workers to the United States to serve in their congregations. Recently, we began hearing from the Springfield Diocese about priests at risk of having to return to their home country due to delays in processing their green cards. Failure to address this issue would affect not just Massachusetts, but faith-based organizations nationwide,” said Congressman Neal. “I am proud to partner with Congressman Carey and our colleagues in the Senate to address this pressing issue with a bipartisan, commonsense solution. Religious institutions play an essential role in our communities, offering support, connection, and invaluable services. This legislation will ensure they can continue their vital work for years to come.”
In 2021, Senators Collins and Kaine wrote to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to express concerns about the severe backlogs in processing religious worker visa petitions. In 2023 and 2024, the Senators again wrote to the Secretaries about a change in statutory interpretation that had the effect of worsening the problem by lengthening the amount of time it takes for religious worker applicants from most countries to receive employment-based visas. Though some progress has been made, many religious workers who are in the United States on temporary R-1 visas are still unable to receive decisions on permanent EB-4 visa applications within the maximum five-year duration of an R-1 visa.
The Religious Workforce Protection Act would provide a targeted and limited fix to this problem by granting the DHS Secretary the authority to extend temporary R-1 nonimmigrant status for religious workers past five years until they receive a decision on an EB-4 application IF (1) the religious institution that they work for has petitioned for their lawful permanent residence under the EB-4 category, and (2) they are otherwise eligible to become lawful permanent residents (and, therefore, are not subject to any existing bars to obtaining a visa).
The bill would also allow for limited job flexibility while these religious workers are waiting for a decision on their EB-4 applications, so that they do not have to restart the long permanent residence process simply because they moved from one parish or temple to another or received a promotion or title change/
Full text of the bill is available here.
Statements of Support
Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration: “We applaud this bipartisan effort, which recognizes the importance of foreign-born religious workers in communities across our nation. Without them, many Americans would be left without the essential religious and social services they provide. For Catholic ministries specifically, their contributions cannot be understated. People in urban neighborhoods and rural towns alike would be unable to practice their faith in accordance with what Pope Francis referred to as one of our country’s ‘most precious possessions’—the freedom of religion. The Catholic bishops of the United States encourage every member of Congress who believes in preserving and promoting this foundational American value to support the passage of the Religious Workforce Protection Act.”
Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond: “From the founding of our Diocese in 1820, we have relied on missionary priests from around the world to provide care and solace to parishioners; to deliver sacraments in times of great joy and great hardship; and to help them build and sustain their personal relationship with Christ. International clergy are a central part of our Diocese's mission, as they are in any global community of faith. While deeply valued and impactful, relationships between parishioners and clergy take time to build. The loss of a trusted clergy member due to impractical immigration-related restrictions, compounded by significant visa backlogs, deeply impact our parishioners' free exercise of religious life. I join my brother bishops in strongly supporting this very important legislation, and I welcome its impact in easing the burden on our parishioners, our churches, and the entire Diocese of Richmond.”
Bishop James T. Ruggieri of Portland: “I am deeply grateful to Senator Collins, Senator Kaine, and Senator Risch for their united leadership in introducing the Religious Workforce Protection Act and for their strong support of the essential spiritual work we do in this country. This legislation is critically needed to ensure that those called and authorized to serve in ministry in our country can continue their mission without interruption.”
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus: “I am deeply grateful for the efforts and leadership of Congressman Carey in finding a solution through the Religious Workforce Protection Act to allow many of our religious priests and sisters to continue to serve the People of God and our local communities through their ministry. At a pivotal time in our country, priests and religious, including those from other countries who serve here as missionaries, are critical to building a civilization of love, assisting in the growth of the virtues of solidarity and fraternity, and providing the sacramental and pastoral care to meet the needs of our people, an increasingly diverse group from around the world. Congressman Carey listened attentively to our concerns and showed initiative in seeking a constructive solution. His efforts and those of his colleagues represent ‘the better kind of politics’ to which Pope Francis invites us and for which we, in the Diocese of Columbus, are most grateful.”
Galen Carey, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals: “Religious communities unite and serve believers of multiple nationalities. It is important that our leaders have the freedom to serve across national boundaries, and that our churches have access to staff with the expertise they need. The Religious Worker Visa Program has served our country well and has been a blessing to our churches. We are grateful to Senators Collins, Kaine, and Risch for working to preserve and strengthen this important program.”
Oussama Jammal, secretary general of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO): “The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations strongly supports the Religious Workforce Protection Act introduced by Senator Collins, Senator Kaine, and Senator Risch. This crucial legislation addresses the hardships faced by religious workers and institutions due to the EB-4 backlog, ensuring that faith communities across the nation can continue to thrive and serve. Protecting the ability of religious workers to fulfill their mission strengthens the fabric of our diverse society. We urge swift passage of this bill to uphold religious freedom and support the vital contributions of faith-based organizations.”
Samir Kalra, managing director of policy and programs for the Hindu American Foundation: “The Hindu American Foundation is proud to support the Religious Workforce Protection Act, a common sense solution to ensuring that nonimmigrant religious workers on R-1 visas can continue to stay in the U.S. and serve the spiritual needs of their respective religious communities. We’re grateful to Senators Kaine, Collins, and Risch for their leadership in spearheading this important bill that will help all religious communities, including Hindu Americans who are dependent on bringing religious workers trained in India to play a variety of essential roles at Hindu temples.”
David Grunblatt, chair of the Immigration Committee of Agudath Israel of America: “Passage of the Religious Workforce Protection Act would be a game changer and a salvation to religious communities across the spectrum from Alabama to Wyoming. It will allow ministers, priests and rabbis who have already been approved for classification as religious workers by USCIS and U.S. embassies and consulates at least two times to extend their stays in the United States. This, so that they can continue to pursue applications for permanent residence based upon already filed immigrant visa petitions carefully vetted by USCIS. It will allow religious denominations to maintain their communities without interruption of their service and support. It does not increase the number of individuals coming into the United States or provide any additional classifications for foreign nationals to take advantage of. It only facilitates applications already in process and avoids disruption of religious communities. We enthusiastically support this bill.”
The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church: “The Religious Workforce Protection Act is crucial for the continued ministry and work of The Episcopal Church. Religious worker visas are a vital lifeline for our congregations, allowing dedicated clergy who bring diverse perspectives and talents to serve God’s people. This legislation will ensure that our ministries and the work of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ can continue to flourish without the disruptive threat of visa expirations. Our church relies on clergy from around the world. They enrich our worship, strengthen our outreach, and are essential members of the body of Christ. Preserving their ability to serve their congregations without interruption is essential for the stability of our church and the continuity of the essential services and spiritual care we provide. I urge our lawmakers to support this act, recognizing that it will not only benefit The Episcopal Church but also countless other faith communities across our nation. With your support, we can ensure that the important ministry of these religious workers continues uninterrupted and allow them to focus on God’s mission without the uncertainty of visa status affecting their ability to serve.”
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