Religious Workers

To obtain permanent resident status in the United States, individuals working in religious occupations need to apply for permanent residency instead of a temporary R visa. This application is processed under the EB-4 category, a special immigrant classification created by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990.

Religious workers include ministers authorized by a recognized denomination to perform religious duties, such as leading worship and administering sacraments, though lay preachers are excluded from this category. A religious vocation involves a lifelong commitment to religious life, as shown by taking vows, and includes individuals such as nuns, monks, religious brothers, and sisters.

Religious occupations involve regular participation in activities tied to traditional religious functions. This includes roles like liturgical workers, religious instructors, cantors, catechists, employees at religious hospitals, missionaries, religious translators, and religious broadcasters. For a layperson to qualify as engaging in a religious occupation, their activities must be connected to traditional religious functions, reflect the tenets of the religion, and hold significant spiritual meaning related to their faith.