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Explore visasI-129Full guide

R-1 / R-2Religious worker

For ministers, nuns, monks and other religious workers coming to work for a U.S. non-profit religious organization, or an affiliated non-profit, that petitions for them.

At a glance

How you apply
Your U.S. employer files Form I-129 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). After approval, a U.S. consulate decides whether you are eligible for the R-1 visa, which can be issued only to the beneficiary of an approved Form I-129. Visa-exempt workers instead present the original approval notice (Form I-797) at the port of entry
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1,2]
The work
At least part time (an average of at least 20 hours per week), solely as a minister or in a religious vocation or occupation, for the organization that petitioned for you
Checked Oct 18, 2026[3]
How long you can stay
Up to 30 months at first, then extensions of up to 30 months; five years (60 months) in total, counting only time physically in the U.S. in valid R-1 status. The limits do not apply if you do not live in the U.S. continuously and your work here is seasonal, intermittent or six months or less a year, or if you live abroad and commute to the U.S. to work part time
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1]
Can family come
Yes: your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may get R-2 status. They cannot work based on R-2, but they may study
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1,2]
Who you can work for
Only the religious organization through which you got R-1 status. To work for another qualifying employer as well, that employer must file its own petition
Checked Oct 18, 2026[3,4]
USCIS filing fee
Form I-129 for an R petition: $510, paper or online. An organization tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) pays no Asylum Program Fee
Checked Oct 18, 2026[5,6]

What R-1 is

R-1 is a temporary (nonimmigrant) status for ministers and for people in religious vocations and occupations who come to the United States to perform religious work. The official visa table lists two symbols: R1 for a member of a religious denomination performing religious work, and R2 for the R1's spouse or child.[1,9]

Three kinds of religious work

The work must fit one of these three definitions.

  • Minister: someone fully authorized by a religious denomination, and fully trained according to its standards, to conduct religious worship and perform other duties usually performed by its authorized clergy, whose activities have a rational relationship to the religious calling of a minister. A lay preacher, or anyone not authorized to perform clergy duties, does not qualify. A minister must work solely as a minister in the United States, which may include administrative duties incidental to the duties of a minister.[3]
  • Religious vocation: a formal lifetime commitment, through vows, investitures, ceremonies or similar signs, to a religious way of life. The denomination must have a class of people whose lives are dedicated to religious practices and functions, as distinguished from its secular members; examples include nuns, monks, and religious brothers and sisters. The State Department notes that people with a religious vocation may engage in any type of activity within their vocation, denomination or its affiliate.[2,3]
  • Religious occupation, in a professional or nonprofessional capacity: the duties must primarily relate to a traditional religious function, be recognized as a religious occupation within the denomination, and be primarily related to, and clearly involve, inculcating or carrying out the denomination's religious creed and beliefs. Positions that are primarily administrative or support work do not count, and religious study or training for religious work is not itself a religious occupation.[3]

Who qualifies

  • You have been a member of a religious denomination that has a bona fide non-profit religious organization in the United States during at least the two years immediately before the petition is filed, in the same type of denomination as the U.S. organization where you will work. The regulation's eligibility list and the State Department also count the two years back from when you apply for admission.[1,2,3]
  • You are coming to work at least part time, an average of at least 20 hours per week, solely as a minister or in a religious vocation or occupation.[3]
  • Your employer is a non-profit religious organization in the United States, a religious organization authorized by a group tax exemption holder to use its group tax exemption, or a non-profit organization affiliated with a religious denomination in the United States. It must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, shown by a currently valid Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determination letter (under a group exemption, the letter for the group).[1,3]
  • You come at the request of the petitioner to work for the petitioner, and you do not work in the United States in any other capacity. You may work for more than one qualifying employer only if each one files a petition for you.[3]

What goes with the petition

  • Proof of the organization's tax exemption: a currently valid IRS determination letter. Under a group exemption, the group's letter plus proof that the petitioner is covered, such as a letter from the parent organization or a directory listing. If the IRS letter does not identify the organization as religious, evidence of its religious nature and purpose. An affiliated organization also needs a religious denomination certification, which is part of Form I-129 Supplement R.[1]
  • An employer attestation in the R-1 supplement, signed by an authorized official. Among other things, it states the number of members, the number of employees at your work location and a summary of what they do, how many people in religious worker status the organization employs now or employed in the past five years, how many religious worker petitions and applications were filed for jobs with it in the past five years, your title and detailed daily duties, your compensation, that you will work at least 20 hours per week, the work locations, and that you will not do secular work.[3,6]
  • Verifiable evidence of how the organization will compensate you, in money or in kind, such as past pay for similar positions, budgets set aside for salaries, or proof that room and board will be provided. IRS documents such as Form W-2 or certified tax returns must be included if available; if not, an explanation and comparable, verifiable documents. If you will be self-supporting, proof that the position is part of an established program for temporary, uncompensated missionary work, of your acceptance into the program, and of your sources of support, such as bank records or budgets.[1,3]
  • Evidence of your two years of membership in the denomination and that you are qualified for the position. For a minister: a certificate of ordination or similar documents, documents showing the denomination accepted your qualifications as a minister, and proof of completing any prescribed theological education at an accredited theological institution normally required or recognized by the denomination (transcripts, curriculum, accreditation). If the denomination requires no theological education: its requirements for ordination, the duties ordination allows, its levels of ordination if any, and proof that you completed the requirements.[1,3]
  • A duplicate copy of Form I-129 and all supporting documents. Without it, a visa abroad from the U.S. Department of State may be delayed.[1]
  • If the organization believes one of the eligibility requirements substantially burdens its exercise of religion, it may ask for an exemption under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The written request should come with the initial filing and explain how the requirement conflicts with a sincerely held religious belief; the organization must show it qualifies, and USCIS decides case by case.[1]

Fees

Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26 (USCIS fees), and 22 CFR 22.1 (consular fees). Check the current schedule before paying.
ItemAmountWhen it applies
Form I-129, R petition$510 paper or onlinePaid by the employer for each R-1 petition; additional fees may apply
Asylum Program Fee$0An R-1 petitioner must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), and such an organization counts as a nonprofit, which pays no Asylum Program Fee (the $300 small-employer and $600 regular rates do not apply to it)
Premium processing (Form I-907), optional$1,780Filed by the employer, not the worker; paid separately and in addition to all other fees
R visa application fee (consulate)$205Per person, R-1 and R-2; a visa issuance (reciprocity) fee may also apply
Form I-539 for R-2 family in the U.S.$470 paper / $420 onlineSpouse or children extending or changing status in the U.S.
Checked Oct 22, 2026[3,5,6,7,10,11,12]

How the process works

  1. 1. The employer files Form I-129

    A prospective or existing U.S. employer files Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, with the R-1 supplement and the evidence above. An R-1 petition may include only one beneficiary. If you are already in the United States in another status and are eligible to change status, the petition can ask USCIS to change your status to R-1.[1,3,6]

  2. 2. Review and possible site inspection

    USCIS may verify the evidence by any means it considers appropriate, up to an on-site inspection of the organization, before or after it decides the petition. The petition must give the physical address where you will work, even if it differs from the mailing address. If USCIS inspects before deciding, satisfactory completion of the inspection is a condition for approval.[1,3]

  3. 3. Visa at a U.S. consulate

    Petition approval does not by itself establish that you are eligible for the visa; the consular officer decides. A consulate may issue an R visa up to 90 days before the start of employment shown on Form I-797, Notice of Action, but you may enter the United States only on or after the effective date of the approval. If you do not need a visa, you present the original Form I-797 at the port of entry.[1,2,13]

  4. 4. Admission

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) decides whether to admit you. If you are otherwise admissible, you may be admitted in R-1 status, or have your status changed to R-1, for an initial period of up to 30 months.[1,3]

How long you can stay and extending

If you are maintaining status (or seeking readmission) and still meet the requirements, an extension or readmission may be granted for the validity period of the petition, up to 30 months at a time, but your total time in R-1 status cannot exceed five years (60 months). Only time spent physically in the United States in valid R-1 status counts toward the maximum.[1,3]

To extend, your employer files a new Form I-129 with the R-1 supplement, the fee and evidence of your previous R-1 employment. If you were salaried, that means IRS documents such as Form W-2 or certified copies of filed income tax returns for the preceding two years; if you were paid in other ways, IRS documents if available (if not, an explanation and other verifiable evidence of your support); if you supported yourself, verifiable documents showing how that support was maintained. If the extension is filed on time, you may keep working for the same employer for up to 240 days after your authorized stay expires; if USCIS denies the extension within that period, the work authorization ends when you are notified.[3,4]

The time limits do not apply if you did not reside continually in the United States and your R-1 work here was seasonal or intermittent or totaled six months or less per year, or if you live abroad and regularly commute to the United States for part-time work. Both the employer and you must give clear and convincing proof, such as arrival and departure records, transcripts of processed income tax returns and records of employment abroad.[3]

After five years in R-1 status you cannot get an extension and must leave the United States. You may be readmitted in R-1 status with a new approved Form I-129 and a new R-1 visa if you need one. Under the current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation there is no minimum time you must stay outside the United States first, provided you meet all other requirements; the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual section on R visas (9 FAM 402.16) still describes a one-year period outside the United States (see Recent policy changes below). The employer may file the new petition before you leave, but must request consular, pre-flight or port-of-entry notification; if it requests an extension of stay instead, USCIS may deny the extension and approve the petition for consular processing.[1,2,3]

Working, adding employers and moving

In R-1 status you may work only for the religious organization through which you got the status. If you are paid for work for any other religious organization without an approved petition from it, you will be out of status. A different or additional employer can ask for approval of the work in advance by filing its own Form I-129 with the R-1 supplement, evidence and fee.[3,4]

Your approved employer must notify DHS within 14 days if you work fewer than the required hours, or if you are released or your employment otherwise ends before your authorized R-1 stay expires.[1,3]

Moving to a new work location may be a material change to the approved petition. If it is, the employer may have to file an amended petition, with fee, and get it approved before you move. If you are expected to move among locations within a larger organization, that organization should file the petition.[1]

Spouse and children (R-2)

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may come with you or join you later in R-2 status. R-2 status is granted for the same period and subject to the same limits as yours, regardless of time they have already spent in R-2 status. Their primary purpose in coming must be to join or accompany you. They may not accept employment in R-2 status, but they may study.[2,3]

Family members already in the United States generally use Form I-539 to extend or change their status. The R-1 worker does not use Form I-539; the worker's extension or change of status goes on the employer's Form I-129.[6,14]

R-1 and a green card

You must intend to leave the United States when your R status ends, but an R petition, admission, change of status or extension may not be denied solely because a permanent labor certification or an immigrant visa petition has been filed or approved for you. You also do not need to keep a residence abroad that you do not intend to abandon. A green card as a religious worker is a separate process on Form I-360; it requires, among other things, two years of membership in the denomination and two years of continuous religious work immediately before filing.[1,2,15]

Common mistakes

  • Filing for a position that is mainly administrative or support work, such as janitor, maintenance worker, clerical employee, fundraiser or someone solely soliciting donations. These are not religious occupations, although limited administrative duties that are only incidental to religious functions are allowed.[3]
  • Ignoring a Form I-94 admission record that shows more than 30 months for the first admission. Ask CBP to correct it, at the port of entry that issued it or at a CBP Deferred Inspection Office; USCIS cannot correct it, and Form I-102 is not the way to ask. You and the employer are not penalized for the error, but it may affect future immigration benefits if you exceed five years. If you need to stay beyond 30 months, request an extension before the 30 months end.[1]
  • Letting the job drift from what the approved petition describes. If USCIS finds, for example, that you are no longer employed in the capacity specified in the petition, or that the employer violated the terms and conditions of the approved petition, it sends the employer a notice of intent to revoke. The employer may submit rebuttal evidence within 30 days of receiving the notice, and USCIS then decides whether to revoke the petition.[3]

USCIS R-1 petition data

Official USCIS statistics

Official

Decision approval rate · FY2025

95.0%

Approved 9,868 · Denied 517

▼ 1.0 pts vs. same period a year earlier (FY2024: 96.0%)

R-1 / R-2 · Decision approval rate
0%25%50%75%100%2017201920212023202595.0%
R-1 / R-2 · Approved / Denied
ApprovedDenied
010k20k20172019202120232025

Approved ÷ (approved + denied) in the same period. Pending cases are not counted. Decisions in a quarter can come from petitions filed earlier, so this is the share of decisions that were approvals — not the chance that a petition filed today will be approved.

Official

Source: Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions by Case Status and Request for Evidence (RFE) (Fiscal Year 2024, Quarter 4) · Published Dec 16, 2024 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026

Source: Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions by Case Status and Request for Evidence (RFE) (Fiscal Year 2025, Quarter 4) · Published Mar 24, 2026 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026

Processing time (Form I-129, R-1)

This covers USCIS processing of the petition only.

USCIS published processing time

Official

Median from USCIS's quarterly report

  • I-129 · FY2026 Q3 · all offices9.5 months

    All I-129 categories combined; the report does not split I-129 by category.

Half of the cases USCIS completed in that quarter took this long or less, from receipt to decision. Half took longer. The report does not say whether premium-processing cases are included. It is a different measure from the processing-times tool, so the two are not compared.

For the current figure for your form and office, check USCIS directly: USCIS processing times

Official

Source: All USCIS Application and Petition Form Types (Fiscal Year 2026, Quarter 3) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026

Recent policy changes

  • High confidence DHS issued an interim final rule under which an R-1 worker who has used up the five-year maximum no longer needs to reside and be physically present outside the United States for one year before seeking readmission in R-1 status; the worker must still depart at the end of the five years. The State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual section on R visas (9 FAM 402.16) still describes the one-year requirement. If you are near the five-year limit, an immigration attorney can check how this applies to your visa application.[1,2]

Recent policy changes

Official

Updates

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Answers come from our sourced database and your own timeline, sorted into fact, public data, inference and unknown. No AI model is used in this version, so questions outside what we cover get an honest "not covered".

Questions people ask

Can I apply for R-1 on my own?

No. A U.S. employer must file Form I-129 for you, and an R-1 visa can be issued only to the beneficiary of an approved Form I-129 petition. Each R-1 petition may name only one worker.[1,2,6]

I am coming only for a preaching tour or unpaid missionary work. Do I need R-1?

Not always. The State Department allows certain religious work on a B-1 visa: for example, a religious tour without an appointment at any one place of worship, supported by offerings at each meeting; a temporary pulpit exchange while the foreign religious body keeps reimbursing you and you draw no salary from the U.S. religious entity; or a temporary trip solely to do missionary work for a denomination, with no selling of articles and no soliciting or accepting donations, and no salary or pay from U.S. sources other than an allowance or reimbursement for expenses incidental to the stay. If you will be paid a salary from a U.S. source, B classification cannot be used. Whether your plans fit depends on the facts; an immigration attorney can apply these rules to your case.[2,16]

Does the position have to be paid?

The petition must state how the organization will compensate you, salaried or non-salaried, in money or in kind, or whether you will be self-supporting. If you will be self-supporting, the employer must show that the position is part of an established program for temporary, uncompensated missionary work within a broader international missionary program sponsored by the denomination. Such a program is one in which foreign workers have previously participated in R-1 status, missionary workers are traditionally uncompensated, the organization provides formal training for missionaries, and missionary work is an established element of religious development in the denomination.[3]

Do I need experience in religious work?

For a religious occupation, the State Department says you do not need to be working in a religious occupation when you apply for the visa or to have prior experience with religious work. You still need two years of membership in the denomination and must be qualified for the position according to the denomination's standards; a minister must be fully authorized and fully trained by the denomination.[2,3]

Can I come on R-1 to study or train for religious work?

Religious study or training for religious work is not a religious occupation, but an R-1 worker may pursue study or training incident to status. The State Department adds that a person with a religious vocation may qualify for R-1 even while engaged in training. Under State Department guidance, activities that are not religious work, such as private worship, informal religious study or attending religious services or conferences, are not appropriate for R classification unless you have a religious vocation; they may fit a B-1 or B-2 visa.[2,3]

I am already in the U.S. in another status. Can I change to R-1?

It is possible: the employer files Form I-129 asking USCIS to change your status to R-1, for an initial period of up to 30 months, and must include evidence that you have maintained your current status. Some people cannot change status in the United States, for example anyone admitted under a visa waiver program, in transit, as a crewman, or as a K-1 fiancé(e). Whether you qualify depends on your history; an immigration attorney can check your case.[3,6]

Related categories

Content last reviewed: Oct 18, 2026 · General information, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. 1.R-1 Nonimmigrant Religious Workers - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  2. 2.9 FAM 402.16 RELIGIOUS OCCUPATIONS – R VISASU.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  3. 3.8 CFR 214.2(r) - Religious workerseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  4. 4.8 CFR 274a.12 - Classes of aliens authorized to accept employmenteCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  5. 5.Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
  6. 6.Instructions for Form I-129 (edition 09/09/26)USCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  7. 7.8 CFR 106.4 - Premium processing serviceeCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  8. 8.How Do I Request Premium Processing? - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  9. 9.22 CFR 41.12eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  10. 10.8 CFR 106.1 - Fee requirements (definitions)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 12, 2026
  11. 11.8 CFR 106.2 - USCIS feeseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  12. 12.22 CFR 22.1 - Schedule of fees for consular services (Department of State)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  13. 13.22 CFR 41.58eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  14. 14.I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  15. 15.Green Card for a Religious Worker (Minister or Non-minister) - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  16. 16.9 FAM 402.2 TOURISTS AND BUSINESS VISITORS AND MEXICAN BORDER CROSSING CARDS – B VISAS AND BCCSU.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Oct 18, 2026