Relevant matters concerning R-1 visa holders in the United States

1) R-1 visa holders can attend seminaries in the United States as long as their courses are related to their religious work or profession.

2) If other organizations within the religious denomination to which the R-1 visa holder belongs want to employ the R-1 visa holder, they must submit an application for I-129 non-immigrant employees and pay the relevant fees. The application of the non-immigrant employee must be submitted to USCIS which has jurisdiction over the location of the employment relationship between the two parties. The application must clearly state that the holder of the R-1 visa will still meet the requirements of USCIS for religious workers.Changing employers without the approval of the Immigration Department will deprive R-1 visa holders of their valid identity.

3) The validity of R-1 visa holder’s status in the United States shall not exceed three years. If more time is needed to complete the work, the R-1 visa holder must apply for an extension of the validity period of his identity. The period of validity of their identity shall not be extended for more than two years at most. Therefore, the maximum duration of stay for R-1 visa holders is five years.

4) Spouses of R-1 visa holders and unmarried children under the age of 21 may apply for R-2 visas  The duration of stay shall be based on the duration of stay of the holder of the R-1 visa. Families of R-1 visa holders can study, but they can’t work.