R Visa
This nonimmigrant category for religious workers allows a beneficiary to work in the United States for up to 60 months. The person must be a member of the religious denomination for which they will be working for at least two years prior to commencing work. R-1 visas are available to clergymen and women as well as lay workers.
Special Immigrant Religious Workers
Under the EB-4 visa category, both ministers and non-ministers may obtain lawful permanent residency for the purpose of performing religious work.While there is no cap on ministers, only 5,000 visas for non-minister religious workers are available per fiscal year. Non-ministers are those with a religious vocation or occupation that are engaged in either a professional or non-professional capacity. The Special Immigrant Religious Non-ministerial program will end September 20, 2018 and applies to spouses and children.
In 2005, Ms. Suntoso was the Associate Editor of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s “Immigration Options for Religious Workers” alongside the renowned Rodney M. Barker of Boston, Massachusetts. In 2003, Ms. Suntoso assisted in the proposal of the U.S. Permanent Religious Worker Laws, which was filed by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass). The bill was signed into law on October 15, 2003 and extended the sunset provision to September 30, 2008. See H.R. 2152, 108th Cong., 1st Sess. (2003).