Visas & Advice Detail
Obama extends visa programme for religious workers
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced earlier this month that President Obama has extended the non-minister special immigrant religious worker programme to 29th September 2009 - the programme had expired on 6th March 2009.
This extension affects workers (not ministers) within a religious vocation or occupation (in a professional or non-professional capacity), and their accompanying spouses and children.
For the next four months USCIS is to accept Form I-360 from religious workers affected by the expiration of the programme, and will also process 'Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status' (Form I-485), for non-minister special immigrant religious workers.
However, if Congress does not extend the programme beyond the end of September, USCIS will suspend processing of any pending Forms I-360 and will reject all petitions for this visa programme received on or after that date.
Religious workers affected by the extension of the programme should check the USCIS web site (www.uscis.gov) for future updates.