Special Immigrant Religious Workers Face Two-Week Countdown to Enter U.S.

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Key Takeaways

The Special Immigrant Religious Workers (EB-4) visa program ends March 13, 2025, unless extended by Congress.
Retrogression has moved EB-4 priority dates back to August 1, 2019, potentially delaying applicants’ ability to complete the process.
Applicants and organizations must finalize applications and admissions or adjustments of status by March 13, 2025, without a grace period.

The Special Immigrant Religious Workers visa, also known as EB-4, is nearing its expiration, forcing both applicants and sponsoring organizations to respond promptly. This visa program, which allows foreign nationals to work for religious organizations in the United States, will end on March 13, 2025. After this date, no visas within this category will be issued unless Congress acts to extend the program. With the deadline approaching fast, many organizations fear they won’t be able to fill critical positions like counselors and translators. For applicants, this represents one last chance to use the program before it is potentially gone for good.

The March 2025 Deadline

Special Immigrant Religious Workers Face Two-Week Countdown to Enter U.S.

As outlined in the March 2025 Visa Bulletin from the Department of State, March 13 will mark the last day for processing or granting Special Immigrant Religious Workers visas (SR visas). This means that anyone applying under this program must either gain admission to the U.S. or finalize their adjustment of status on or before this date. After midnight, no further action on these applications will be allowed. Additionally, for those already holding an SR visa, their entry into the country must happen before the same deadline of March 13.

As VisaVerge.com reports, this deadline adds urgency for anyone hoping to travel to the United States under the program. The path to obtain this visa involves careful planning and meeting many strict requirements, which leaves little room for error given the short time frame. Religious organizations relying on future employees through this program must also take swift action to secure approvals, or risk having their staffing needs disrupted.

Retrogression and Visa Availability Challenges

Adding even more complexity for applicants, the March 2025 Visa Bulletin has brought about significant retrogression for the EB-4 category. Retrogression, in immigration terms, refers to the process of moving back the “final action” date that governs when a visa applicant can complete the process. This month, the priority date for all EB-4 categories, including SR visas, has been moved back by 17 months, to August 1, 2019.

For those not already far along in their application procedures, retrogression could mean waiting years to complete the process—well past the March deadline. This essentially closes the window of opportunity for many currently eligible applicants. Furthermore, the Visa Office has warned that the SR and EB-4 categories could even be marked as “Unavailable” shortly after the expiration. If this happens, absolutely no visas will be issued under these categories until the start of the next U.S. fiscal year on October 1, 2025.

Legislative Background and Lack of Renewals

The SR program’s current status stems from H.R. 10545, which was signed into law on December 21, 2024. This bill extended the visa category’s lifespan to March 14 of the following year. But unlike extensions in the past, there has been no confirmed indication that further extensions will follow this time. The absence of new legislative developments creates an air of uncertainty for both eligible applicants and their sponsors.

Impact on Religious Organizations

The loss of the SR visa program will have a substantial impact, particularly on religious communities that rely on immigrant workers to deliver key services. Many of these organizations count on hiring immigrant clergy, translators, or counselors, who often possess specific linguistic and cultural skills needed to serve diverse populations. Losing access to an international pool of qualified religious workers could create gaps in critical services offered to communities, amplifying the strain on already-limited resources.

The lack of future immigration options beyond March 13 presents practical challenges for the continuity of these organizations’ operations. Without federal intervention to renew the program, some groups are likely to face difficulties maintaining staff levels. The uncertainty also leaves existing workers in the U.S. wondering whether or not they’ll be able to continue their roles after their current visas expire.

What Applicants Need to Know

The application process under the SR category is stringent and must be completed correctly to avoid delays, especially given the time crunch. Applicants must meet detailed requirements, such as demonstrating they belong to a qualifying religious denomination and submitting Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The basics of the program also require applicants to meet conditions like:

Being a member of a religious community or group for at least two years before applying.
Showing continuous physical presence in the United States (if seeking an adjustment of status).
Avoiding disqualifying convictions, such as certain felonies or crimes that reflect badly on moral character.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, for March 2025, all EB-4 applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart, not the Filing Dates chart, to submit their adjustment-of-status applications. This reinforces the importance of adhering to deadlines because no grace period exists once March 13 passes.

Broader Context of U.S. Immigration Policy

The expiration of the SR visa program occurs at a time when U.S. immigration policies are facing greater scrutiny across many areas. The current administration has worked to reverse previous bans and introduce reforms in some areas, but programs like the EB-4 category demonstrate how certain issues persist. Temporary visa or residency programs are often subject to frequent changes, leaving stakeholders with minimal stability for long-term planning.

While other visa categories may absorb some of the demand left behind by the closure of the SR program, that won’t entirely offset the losses. Other employment-based visa options, such as those for skilled workers, have their own limits on what jobs can be sponsored, leaving current stakeholders in the SR program with few—or no—alternatives.

Next Steps for Organizations and Applicants

Given the tight timeline ahead, both applicants and religious organizations should take immediate action to prepare for the upcoming deadline. Here’s what stakeholders need to prioritize:

Applicants should verify they meet all necessary documentation requirements, including submitting Form I-485 for adjustment of status. Completing any gaps in documentation is critical, as mid-process applicants won’t be allowed to finalize after March 13.
Religious organizations must review their hiring plans to ensure all SR applications are processed in time to bring new employees to the U.S. Organizations without other visas lined up for important workers might need to reassess their future staffing strategies.
Stakeholders should pay close attention to updates from USCIS or the Department of State, as any last-minute policy changes might alter the opportunities available.

Uncertainty Looms for the Future

Though the SR visa program has seen extensions in the past, advocates for this visa category face challenges in securing legislative support. Should Congress fail to act, the opportunity for non-minister religious workers to immigrate to the U.S. could disappear indefinitely. This is particularly concerning for ongoing programs that serve immigrant or multi-lingual communities, which have thrived because of the unique talents of workers brought to the U.S. through initiatives like the SR visa.

Final Considerations

The approaching end of the Special Immigrant Religious Worker visas, or EB-4 visas, on March 13, 2025, has raised alarms for stakeholders ranging from applicants to large religious institutions. For workers, this represents a narrowing window to secure their opportunity to contribute in the United States. For the organizations, this could mean scrambling to meet critical labor shortages. Both groups will face challenges in coming months, as the expiration of the program settles within broader questions about U.S. immigration law and its future application. For precise guidance on the program and its deadlines, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ official website can offer step-by-step details: USCIS Special Immigrant Religious Workers Program.

Learn Today

Special Immigrant Religious Workers visa (SR visa) → A visa that allows foreign nationals to work for U.S. religious organizations, set to end March 13, 2025.
EB-4 Category → An employment-based fourth-preference visa category, including SR visas, for specific workers like clergy or religious staff.
Retrogression → Immigration delay where priority dates for visas are moved back, postponing eligibility for processing applications.
Adjustment of Status → A process enabling eligible individuals to apply for permanent residence (green card) while staying in the United States.
Priority Date → The date when a visa petition is filed, determining an applicant’s place in line for processing based on visa availability.

This Article in a Nutshell

The Special Immigrant Religious Workers visa (EB-4) ends March 13, 2025, unless Congress renews it. Applicants face retrogressed deadlines, urgent paperwork, and uncertainty, while religious organizations risk losing skilled staff. With time running out, acting now is crucial for securing this unique opportunity before it vanishes, potentially altering U.S. religious support services permanently.
— By VisaVerge.com