USCIS opens 60-day public comment period on the interim final rule for R-1 religious workers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an interim final rule eliminating the one-year foreign residency requirement for R-1 religious workers who reach the statutory five-year maximum period of stay, allowing them to seek readmission sooner. The change responds to long EB-4 visa backlogs—exacerbated by Department of State changes in 2023—that left many religious organizations without clergy and non-ministerial workers. The rule takes effect immediately, and USCIS is accepting written comments for 60 days from the rule’s Federal Register publication.