Mission: As the number of foreign-born Catholics immigrating to the United States continues to steadily increase, the number of U.S. men and women entering the seminary or religious life continues to steadily decrease. In light of this reality, the Church is bringing foreign-born religious workers into the United States to address the growing need for spiritual and pastoral ministry to foreign-born and U.S. Catholics.
The Center for Religious Immigration and Protection assists more than 250 archdiocese, dioceses and religious institutes to bring foreign-born religious workers to the U.S. for education, formation, or ministry. The Center offers a variety of legal and educational services that enable CLINIC to fulfill its mission to enhance, extend, and support the legal immigration work of the Catholic Church.
Projects
- Communication with USCIS and DOS to ensure laws and agency regulations are applied correctly in religious immigration cases;
- Meetings with federal agencies to resolve systemic or case specific problems;
- Maintain close contact with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on religious immigration issues; and
- Participate in working groups on religious immigration issues with Catholic and non-Catholic partners.
- Technical support for arch/dioceses and religious institutes managing religious immigration cases;
- Training in religious immigration law for arch/diocesan and religious institute personnel as well as Catholic and non-Catholic nonprofit legal immigration staff;
- Quarterly newsletter highlighting specific religious immigration practice issues;
- Publications on religious immigration law, case management and best legal practices;
- Religious Immigration Internship Program.
Religious Immigration Quarterly
Legal staff field telephone calls and emails, answer questions and provide intake for Catholic arch/diocese and religious institutes with new cases. The help line operates on Fridays from 10 AM to 3 PM.
The help line number is 202-635-5814.
Legal internships are available in CLINIC's national office in Washington, DC with the Center for Religious Immigration and Protection, which provides provides direct client representation.
The Center represents Catholic dioceses and religious orders bringing foreign-born priests, sisters, seminarians and lay persons into the United States to work for the Catholic Church.
The Center accepts 2-3 interns each semester. Under the supervision of the division's seven staff attorneys, the intern's case work will include:
- applications for nonimmigrant visas at U.S. consulates abroad;
- applications for change of status or extension of status in the United States;
- requirements for special immigrant religious workers;
- applications for legal permanent residence;
- case management and client contact and
- legal research opportunities.
Students from the following schools have participated in CLINIC's Internship program:
- Catholic University of America - Columbus School of Law
- Duquesne University School of Law
- Georgetown University Law School;
- George Mason University School of Law;
- George Washington University School of Law;
- Howard University Law School;
- Notre Dame University, School of Law
- Southern New England School of Law;
- The University of Mississippi;
- The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
- William and Mary Marshall Wythe School of Law
Please contact Sairah Saeed, internship coordinator, at ssaeed@cliniclegal.org or 202-635-5827 for more information.
- Review of immigration documents and forms for eligibility determination;
- Preparation of application, petitions and correspondence for U.S. immigration benefits;
- Representation before federal agencies such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State (DOS); and
- On-going case management.
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