Bishops praise new Trump rule ending one-year foreign residency requirement for religious workers

https://catholicvote.org/bishops-praise-new-trump-rule-ending-one-year-foreign-residency-requirement-for-religious-workers/?utm_campaign=129541854-The%20LOOP&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_GlEzznBQ-DUfwnjIc7quTJBIQe-3oKL9oXYJn8l9-l6Z2oGGE84vPdR1oyYvLzXGXfP0sOHFNrVrWoscrK11SeafElg&_hsmi=21302200&utm_content=21302200&utm_source=hs_email

Leaders of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) this week welcomed a new Trump administration regulatory change that eliminates a longstanding visa requirement for foreign-born religious workers, calling the move a “truly significant step” toward supporting essential religious services across the U.S.

In a Jan. 14 statement, USCCB President Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop Brendan Cahill, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Migration, praised the interim final rule that removes a mandatory one-year waiting period outside the U.S. for religious workers seeking to renew their R-1 visas.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

“We are tremendously grateful for the Administration’s work to address certain challenges facing foreign-born religious workers, their employers, and the American communities they serve,” the bishops’ statement read. “The value of the Religious Worker Visa Program and our appreciation for the efforts undertaken to support it cannot be overstated.”

The rule, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), amends federal regulations for religious workers who reach the five-year maximum stay on an R-1 visa to require no minimum time outside of the country before they reapply, provided they meet all other requirements. The change takes effect immediately.

Previously, Catholic priests, members of religious orders, and other faith-based workers were required to remain outside the country for at least one year before returning to resume ministry. Bishops said the requirement caused significant disruptions, particularly for rural and underserved communities reliant on foreign-born clergy.

>> Kentucky priests ‘in limbo’ as visas expire amid immigration crackdown << 

“This targeted change is a truly significant step that will help facilitate essential religious services for Catholics and other people of faith throughout the United States by minimizing disruptions to cherished ministries,” Archbishop Coakley and Bishop Cahill said in their statement.

The new rule provides critical relief while religious workers await lawful permanent residency or green cards. According to the statement, wait times for religious workers in the EB-4 immigrant visa category have grown to decades for some applicants, a backlog the USCCB has warned policymakers about for years.

While welcoming the rule, the bishops said further action is needed. 

“In order to provide the full extent of the relief needed and truly promote the free exercise of religion in our country, we continue to urge Congress to enact the bipartisan Religious Workforce Protection Act,” they said.

The legislation proposes broader and more permanent relief for religious organizations facing workforce shortages due to immigration backlogs.

In a Jan. 14 press release, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the rule would reduce wait times for thousands of religious workers abroad and help ensure continuity in faith-based services nationwide. A DHS spokesperson said,  “Pastors, priests, nuns, and rabbis are essential to the social and moral fabric of this country. We remain committed to finding ways to support and empower these organizations in their critical work.”