Removal of One-Year Abroad Requirement for Certain Religious Workers

This change eliminates the prior “one-year abroad” condition, which required qualifying religious workers to spend a continuous year outside the United States before seeking readmission in R-1 status.

With the removal of this requirement, eligible religious workers may now pursue R-1 petitions without demonstrating a full year of physical presence abroad, provided they continue to meet all other statutory and regulatory criteria. Religious organizations and petitioners should review the updated policy to assess how this change may impact future filings and long-term workforce planning.

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