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Immigration News Flashes
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Thursday, May 7, 2009
Non-Minister Special Immigrant Religious Worker Program Extended
USCIS announced May 4, 2009, that Public Law 111-9, signed by the President, March 20, 2009, extends the non-minister
special immigrant religious worker program through Sept. 29, 2009. The program had expired on March 6, 2009. The extended
category covers special immigrant religious workers in professional or non-professional capacity within a religious vocation
or occupation. The extended date also applies to accompanying spouses and children. Workers entering the United States only
to continue the vocation of a religious minister are not affected by the expiration date.
USCIS
will receive and process the Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, Form I-360, for those religious workers affected by the expiration of the program.
USCIS will also process Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form I-485, based on approved Form I-360 petitions for non-minister special immigrant
religious workers.
Form I-824, Application
for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, requesting ‘following-to-join’ individuals whose basis for the adjustment was an approved Form I-360
SR petition for a nonminister category, or requesting an approved Form I-360 SR petition to be sent to the State Department’s
National Visa Center, will continue to be accepted and processed as well.
Unless
Congress extends the expiration date of the program again, beginning Sept. 30, 2009, USCIS will suspend processing of any
pending Forms I-360, I-485 and I-824 affected by the expiration, and will reject all petitions and applications for this program
received on or after that date.
For assistance in preparing your religious worker nonimmigrant
or special immigrant visa package, contact Amy L. Becerra, Esq., (757) 345-9019; amy@alblawoffice.com.
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