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DHS Reduces Wait Times for Thousands of Religious Workers Abroad

  • January 16, 2026
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an interim final rule on January 14, 2026 aimed at reducing visa wait times for thousands of religious workers abroad, a move expected to ease staffing challenges for faith-based organizations across the United States. 

Under the new policy, the longstanding one-year foreign residency requirement for certain R-1 religious workers – including priests, pastors, nuns, rabbis, and other religious professionals – has been eliminated. Previously, R-1 visa holders who reached the statutory five-year maximum period of stay were required to leave the U.S. and remain abroad for at least 12 months before applying to return. The updated rule removes that mandatory wait, allowing eligible workers to seek re-entry more quickly after departing the United States. 

R-1 Visa

R-1 visas are issued to religious workers serving U.S. congregations and non-profit religious institutions. For many years, the one-year foreign residency rule forced workers and their communities to endure prolonged absences, often creating leadership gaps and discontinuity in services. 

The change comes amid significant backlogs in the EB-4 immigrant visa category, the pathway through which religious workers can seek lawful permanent residence (a green card). Demand for EB-4 visas has exceeded annual limits for years, and administrative changes in recent years further lengthened wait times. Many religious workers exhausted their five-year R-1 status while waiting for EB-4 availability, forcing them to leave the country under the old rule. 

By eliminating the one-year foreign residency requirement, DHS aims to reduce service disruptions and provide immediate relief for religious organizations that depend on the continuity of their clergy and staff.

Conclusion

The interim final rule became effective immediately upon publication in the Federal Register. Although still an interim measure, it applies now while DHS accepts written public comments for 60 days on the regulation following its formal publication which is available here.