This article focuses on the potential of seeking congressional help for immigration matters and gives some examples of past successes.

This article discusses the recent increase in the filing fee for premium processing of certain USCIS forms.

This article focuses on the updated filing fees for various USCIS forms starting April 1, 2024.

This article celebrates Catholic Sisters Week, which highlights religious sisters and their vital work.

The article explains the non-minister sunset, those affected, and the current expiration date.

On Jan. 19, 2024, President Biden signed the “Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024” (H.R. 2872) into law, funding the federal government through March 8, 2024.

This article focuses on the recent Policy Alert issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allowing for some Employment Authorization Documents to be issued with a maximum validity period of 5 years.

On Thursday, Nov.16, 2023, President Biden signed the “Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024” (H.R. 6363) into law, funding the federal government through Feb. 2, 2024.

This article discusses the particulars of international travel with the Advanced Parole document while the I-485 adjustment of status application for the green card is still pending.

This article focuses on the Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address card.

This article focuses on the latest updates to the religious worker permanent residency process.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters, and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents.

On Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed the “Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024” (H.R. 6363) into law, funding the federal government through Feb. 2, 2024. The Act also extends several immigration programs including the Non-Minister Sunset Provision. Thus, the Non-Minister Permanent Residence Program is extended until Feb. 2, 2024.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents. This article provides a brief overview of the updates to the Non-Minister Sunset Provision.

This article explains the new USCIS Online Form to Request Appointments.

This article highlights the growing number of noncitizens that have recently became U.S. citizens.

This article discusses whether it is necessary for a foreign national to bring the original I-129 approval notice to their visa interview when applying for the R-1 visa.

This article explains the expansion of the premium processing program to include the I-360 petition and the I-765 application.

This article explains the updates made by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding entry stamps for foreign nationals arriving in the United States.

This article focuses on the current state of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and its effects on religious workers.

This article explains the recent updates to the permanent residency process for religious workers and the visa bulletin.

Recent changes to the visa bulletin will cause further delays for many foreign-born religious workers seeking to become U.S. permanent residents. In this one-page flier, learn about the recent policy changes, what they mean for religious workers, and how you can help.

This article explains the difference between immigration status documents and a visa. It explains which type of document is used to prove status and when a beneficiary is required to use a visa.

This article provides the current processing times for the I-129 and I-360 petitions as well as the I-485, I-765, and I-131 applications. This article also explains how to check the pending processing times for the petitions listed above and case status.

This article provides an update to the pre-adjudication site inspection requirement applicable to special immigrant and nonimmigrant religious worker petitions.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters, and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents.

On Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (H.R. 2617) into law, funding the federal government through Sept. 30, 2023. The Act also extends several immigration programs including the Non-Minister Sunset Provision. Thus, the Non-Minister Permanent Residence Program is extended until Sept. 30, 2023.

For decades, nonimmigrant religious workers having been coming to the United States to provide essential services to our U.S. communities. However, in more recent years, religious workers have faced significant delays and challenges. In response to these challenges, the RIS and Advocacy team at CLINIC have joined forces to addresses these issues and make it clear that religious workers are essential. Read the article below to learn more about what RIS and Advocacy have done so far and what is to come.

International travel has always come with risks and special precautions to heed. This article provides reminders regarding international travel for nonimmigrants.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents. This article provides a brief overview of the updates to the Non-Minister Sunset Provision.

The December 2022 Visa Bulletin issued by the Department of State announced a high demand for immigrant (permanent residence) visas and requiring limits for all countries under the category. Find more details here. In turn, U.S.

What type of work do you do at CLINIC?

I prepare petitions for religious workers to come to visit the United States and serve their religious communities.

After the previous administration implemented drastic changes to the public charge rule in 2019, immigrants and legal service providers breathed a collective sigh of relief when the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, or USCIS, under the Biden administration announced that they were repealing the 2019 rule and reverting back to the interpretation of the statue from the 1999 Interim Field Guidance. In February 2022, the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, publicly announced their notice of proposed rulemaking for their own changes to the public charge rule.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents. This article provides a brief overview of the updates to the Non-Minister Sunset Provision.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents. This article provides a brief overview of the updates to the Non-Minister Sunset Provision.

In response to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the White House issued a proclamation suspending and limiting the entry for certain immigrants and nonimmigrants who were physically present in countries where the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected.

The Centers for Disease Control has made updates to the COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements. An individual traveling to the United States from a foreign country must comply with these updated travel restrictions.

CLINIC's policy brief for USCIS outlines the issues that religious workers, and in turn the American communities they serve, are facing due to the agency's backlogs and other policies. The brief offers concrete steps that USCIS can take immediately to reduce the harm to essential religious workers.

This article covers requirements for obtaining and maintaining an F-1 visa for international students.

The Non-Minister Sunset Provision is a temporary law that allows religious brothers, sisters and foreign nationals working in a religious occupation to become permanent residents. This article provides a brief overview of the updates to the Non-Minister Sunset Provision.

This article provides an update on current USCIS processing times for the I-129 Petition, I-360 Petition, I-485 Application, I-765 Application and I-131 Application.

All U.S. Embassies and Consulates outside the United States closed to routine visa interviews in June 2020 due to COVID-19. They have slowly begun to re-open on a post-by-post basis; determined by the conditions of the countries where they are located. At this time, no U.S. Embassies or Consulates are fully operational. Even if they are scheduling appointments and conducting interviews, they are dealing with long backlogs and reduced staff. In order to try to address these backlogs, there have been priorities set.

The Biden administration announced on Feb. 22 it will be reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test.

There have been delays in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issuing receipt notices for some cases filed in November and December of 2020.

The Religious Immigration Services office frequently receives emails and phone calls from third-party contacts who are trying to assist a foreign national with the immigration process. RIS staff are legally limited in their ability to interact with a third-party contact, which is anyone who is not the foreign-born religious worker or a contact for the religious organization.

On Jan. 20, 2021, President Biden introduced a memo focusing on the preservation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The DACA program allows certain undocumented individuals who entered the United States as children to be safe from removal for a period of up to two years if they meet certain eligibility requirements

USCIS recently announced changes made to the civics test for naturalization. This updated version of the test applies to those who have applied for naturalization on or after Dec. 1, 2020.

International students with F-1 visas have been impacted by immigration changes during the pandemic. While exemptions to the restrictions have been made, “new,” incoming international students are not covered by those exemptions.

Since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, international travel and the issuance of certain types of visas have been halted in various ways. This article provides information on the Presidential Proclamations affecting visa issuance and travel and the status of visa interviews at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

Since the Supreme Court issued its final ruling on DACA in June, significant developments have occurred in federal court and in federal agencies. This article summarizes the current status of the program as of Aug. 18, 2020.

Permanent Residency applicants can be affected by new policies and procedures. This article focuses on how EAD processing delays, EAD card production and the public charge rule affect these applicants.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued its final fee schedule on Aug. 3, 2020. The changes are set to take effect Oct. 2, 2020. This article includes a table of fee changes that will impact religious workers.

The president issued the “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak” on April 22, 2020, suspending certain immigrants from entering the United States for 60 days. The proclamation is effective at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 23, 2020.

As you are most likely are aware, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is becoming a more immediate health concern in the U.S. As such, the government has already begun limiting visitors to the U.S. (non-U.S. citizens) who may have recently traveled to the following countries: China, S. Korea, Iran, and Italy. Other countries may be added to this list. We are also hearing reports that foreign nationals with previously issued valid visas could also be denied boarding flights to the U.S. if they have recently traveled to the affected countries. 
 

Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, on March 11, 2020, President Trump issued a new travel proclamation suspending entry of all immigrants and non-immigrants who were physically present in the following 26 European countries. The countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

In recent months, Religious Immigration Services staff have seen an increase in the number of nonimmigrant visas denied to applicants. Nonimmigrant visas are issued to people who have the intent to come to the United States in categories classified for temporary purposes, including visitors, students and religious workers. It is recommended that clients prepare and carefully review all information throughout the visa application process.

Last year, USCIS issued a memo changing the situations in which F, J and M Nonimmigrants began to accrue unlawful presence. This new policy took effect Aug. 9, 2018. The policy was then taken to court. A U.S. federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on May 3 to temporarily block the implementation of the Aug. 9, 2018 USCIS policy memo “Accrual of Unlawful Presence and F, J, and M Nonimmigrants.” This article will provide an update on where the case stands, along with additional updates to fee increases for students and prospective changes to the student category.

• Social Media: The Department of State has added social media questions to Form DS-160 and Form DS-260. The form now asks for additional phone numbers and email addresses, along with the applicant’s social media history for the past five years. If applicants have accounts on the following social media sites — Douban, Facebook, Flicker, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, My space, Pinterest, Qzone (QQ), Reddit, Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, Tumbler, Twitter, Twoo, Vine, Vkontakte, Youku and/or YouTube — they are to select the social media site and include their account ID/Username.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, issued new criteria on May 10 for when a case filed with USCIS may be expedited, narrowing the situations in which this discretionary benefit can be used. Please see the changes to the expedite criteria below.

USCIS may expedite a​ petition or application if it meets one or more of the following criteria (the criteria was recently revised in the USCIS policy manual):

Immigration laws limit the number of immigrant (permanent residence) visas issued during the government’s fiscal year, i.e., Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2019. The number of immigrant visas for employment-based, or EB, cases begins at 140,000 per year. The religious worker permanent residence program falls under the EB 4th preference category, which includes ministers (EB 4th) and non-ministers (EB 4th – Certain Religious Workers).

Under the Trump administration, immigration law and policy transformed. Next year, we expect the same level of changes, and possibly more, that could affect the R-1 Religious Worker Visa Program and permanent residence for religious workers. The following is a list of potential issues that international religious workers should be aware of next year.

Earlier this spring, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a significant policy change that will impact foreign nationals studying in the United States in F status (student), J status (exchange visitor), and M status(vocational student). Effective Aug. 9, 2018, an individual with this status, and his/her dependents, will immediately begin to accrue unlawful presence in the following situations:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, published a new policy guidance on June 28, 2018, regarding the issuance of Form I-862, Notice to Appear. A Notice to Appear, or NTA, is a document issued to a foreign national by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, when the agency has determined that the individual is removable. NTA orders the person to appear before an immigration judge on a given date and to undergo the removal proceedings in court. Until now, USCIS rarely issued NTAs, even after denying immigration benefits.

Effective Oct. 18, 2017, the Trump administration will impose new travel restrictions for nationals from the following eight countries:

Effective Oct. 1, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, will begin implementing "in-person" interviews of I-485 Adjustment of Status (AOS) applicants from employment-based immigration cases. While religious worker AOS cases are employment-based, this new policy will not apply.

An important part of the immigration process of sponsoring international religious workers to the United States involves a site visit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This required visit is used to verify elements of the petition filed by the sponsor, including sponsor and beneficiary information, and work location. Site visits may occur with advance notice or without any notice. A successful site visit allows the sponsor to qualify for expedited processing when filing I-129 petitions for a nonimmigrant religious worker, also known as premium processing.

What is Form AR-11?

Filing a change of address with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is a simple but important task for foreign nationals who are in the United States.

A new schedule of filing fees from USCIS takes effect Dec. 23, 2016. Applications or petitions mailed, postmarked, or otherwise filed on or after Dec. 23, 2016 must include the new fee. Below is a list of the most common petitions and applications used by religious workers and the current and new fee schedule: