Religious Workforce Protection Act

Key Points

• Congress is considering a bill that would allow religious workers, such as ministers and church staff, to stay in the U.S. past their current five-year limit. This applies to workers who have already applied for a green card but are stuck in a long government waiting list due to annual limits on how many people can be approved.
• Currently, many religious workers are forced to leave the country and move their families because their temporary visas expire before the government finishes processing their permanent residency. This bill would let them stay and work legally until a final decision is made on their case, preventing major disruptions to their lives and the organizations they serve.
• The proposal also makes it easier for these workers to switch jobs between different religious organizations while they wait for their green cards. Additionally, it helps people who were already forced to leave the country by removing the rule that they must stay outside the U.S. for a full year before they can come back to work.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.