What is the R-1 visa?

The R-1 visa is a type of visa issued by the United States to religious workers who are coming to the United States temporarily to work. This visa is issued to religious workers who are currently employed (or have been offered a job) in a religious organization or institution in the United States for at least one year. This visa is available for those looking to work as ministers or in a professional or non-professional capacity in a religious occupation or vocation, such as a religious teacher, a cantor, a missionary, a religious broadcaster, or a religious counselor. In order to obtain an R-1 visa, applicants must prove that they are a member of a religious denomination that has a bona fide non-profit religious organization in the United States. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate that they have at least two years of prior experience in the same role or related roles in the religious organization and must present a letter of employment from the organization in the U.S. In California, the R-1 visa allows foreign religious workers to come to the U.S. and work for a period of up to 30 months. The visa can be extended to up to five years if the religious worker meets the requirements and can demonstrate that they are engaged in work that is religious in nature. Additionally, the foreign religious worker must be able to demonstrate that they are in the United States to further their religion’s purpose and objectives.

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La visa R-1 es un tipo de visa de inmigración temporal para aquellos que desean trabajar en los Estados Unidos de forma temporal como trabajadores religiosos. La visa R-1 se otorga a aquellos que trabajarán exclusivamente para una organización religiosa o afiliada o cuyo trabajo implicará un ministro de una religión, como un pastor, un maestro religioso, un cantante en la iglesia o un trabajador misionero, entre otros. Esta visa es válida para tres años y puede ser renovada una vez. Para los solicitantes de visa de trabajador religioso R-1 en el estado de California, deben demostrar que son parte de una organización religiosa calificada, que buscan trabajar de forma temporal para esa organización y que se comprometen a regresar a su país de origen una vez que expire la visa. Además, los solicitantes deben presentar pruebas de su experiencia religiosa en forma de certificado de educación religiosa, documentos académicos o certificados de miembros de cualquier organización religiosa. Los trabajadores religiosos calificados a través de la visa R-1 también deben buscar permiso de empleo de inmigración dentro de los 90 días siguientes a su llegada a los Estados Unidos. Esto es importante para los inmigrantes, ya que sin un permiso de trabajo, los inmigrantes no pueden trabajar legalmente en los Estados Unidos. También deberán renovar su visa si desean seguir trabajando en los Estados Unidos.

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