1/4/2008 - Moratorium on Premium Processing for Religious Workers Extended an Additional Six Months
USCIS has extended an existing hold on Premium Processing (15-day turnaround upon payment of an additional fee) for an additional six months, until July 8.
The R-1 Religious Worker Visa has been under intense scrutiny for several years, since a 2005 internal USCIS audit claimed to uncover widespread fraud in the program. USCIS has since proposed regulations which would substantially change the program requirements, but has not yet published final regulations. In the interim, the Services has instituted interim procedures requiring additional investigations into R-1 Religious Worker visa petitions. USCIS claims that these procedures are time-consuming, and so prevent adjudication of or response on these petitions within the 15-day Premium Processing required timeframe.
Religious institutions will need to plan far in advance if a foreign national religious worker will be needed, and will need to wait for several months while petitions are processed in the regular processing tracks.
Religious institutions and those served by them. Foreign nationals seeking entry as religious workers under the R-1 program.