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Congress·In Committee·11 months ago

Religious Workers: Visa Extensions for Green Card Backlogs

Also known as: Religious Workforce Protection Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Key Points

  • This bill would let religious workers, such as ministers or church staff, stay in the U.S. longer than the current 5-year limit. It specifically helps those who have already applied for a green card but are stuck waiting for years because of government backlogs.
  • It affects religious leaders and staff from other countries who work for U.S. religious groups. Under current rules, many of these workers are forced to leave the country for at least a year once their temporary visa expires, even if they have a permanent job waiting for them.
  • The policy aims to prevent religious communities from losing their leaders due to paperwork delays. By allowing these workers to stay until a final decision is made on their green card, the bill ensures that churches, mosques, and temples can keep their staff without interruption.
  • The bill also gives these workers more flexibility to change jobs. If they find a similar role at a different religious organization, they can take it without losing their place in line for permanent residency.
  • For workers who have already been forced to leave the U.S. because their time ran out, the bill removes the rule that they must stay outside the country for a full year. This allows them to return sooner to continue their work and finish their application process.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Apr 3, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced in Senate

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Religious Workforce Protection Act

Bill NumberS 1298
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(7)
D: 2R: 5

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