Non-Immigrant Visas
Religious Worker Visas
Individuals that plan to travel to the United States to work in a religious occupation or vocation may apply for an R-1, or Religious Worker, visa. Please review the following list of requirements to see if you qualify for this type of visa.
Requirements for R-visa Classification
- You are a member of a religious denomination having a bona fide nonprofit, religious organization in the United States
- The religious organization you are going to work for in the US is tax exempt
- You have been a member of the organization for at least two years
- You are entering the United States solely to carry on the vocation of a minister of that denomination or at the request of the denomination, you are entering the United States to work in a religious vocation or occupation
For further information about religious worker visas, please visit the Department of State’s travel web page.
Volunteer workers for religious organizations that do not have a religious occupation or vocation should apply for a B-1 visa.
Please review all of the application requirements. As part of a religious worker’s application, credentials of a religious vocation or occupation should be presented at the time of the interview. Additionally, if you have been in the US under R status for the previous five years, you will need to provide evidence of the location of your physical presence for the year previous to your visa application.