US Eases Religious Worker Visa Rules, Scraps One-Year Waiting Period for Ghanaians and Others
- The USCIS has updated its Policy Manual, removing the mandatory one-year wait abroad for R-1 religious workers
- The five-year maximum period of stay in the US remains unchanged, and workers must still obtain a new approved R-1 petition before re-entering
- The policy takes effect immediately and applies to petitions pending or filed on or after January 16, 2026, benefiting those previously subject to the old rule
The US has provided an update on the issuance of religious worker visas.
This comes as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has eliminated a long-standing requirement that forced R-1 nonimmigrant religious workers to spend a full year outside the country after completing the maximum five-year period of stay before they could return under the same visa category.
Source: Facebook
The change, which took effect on June 26, 2026, was announced through an update to the USCIS Policy Manual and implements a regulatory change made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
US-based immigration attorney Akua Poku drew attention to the development on Facebook on Monday, June 29, 2026, outlining what the new rules mean for affected workers and religious institutions.
What changed for R-1 religious workers
Under the previous framework, an R-1 visa holder who had exhausted the five-year maximum stay was required to physically remain outside the US for one continuous year before becoming eligible to re-enter in R-1 status.
That waiting period has now been removed entirely.
The five-year cap on total R-1 stay remains firmly in place. Workers who reach that limit must still depart the United States. However, they are no longer required to wait a full year abroad before seeking readmission.
Source: Getty Images
A newly approved R-1 petition must still be obtained before re-entry, and once readmitted under the new petition, the worker begins a fresh period of authorised R-1 stay.
The policy update also extends relief to individuals who were subject to the one-year foreign residence requirement before the regulatory change took effect, meaning some who were already abroad waiting out the old rule may now benefit from the revised terms.
Impact on faith-based Institutions
The practical effect of the change is significant for religious organisations across the United States that rely on R-1 visa holders to fill specialised ministry roles.
Pastors, priests, missionaries, imams, rabbis and other religious workers can now be brought back to their congregations and communities far more quickly once their initial five-year period concludes, rather than organisations waiting up to a year for experienced personnel to return.
The update applies to petitions that were pending or filed on or after January 16, 2026, giving the change a meaningful retroactive reach for some applicants already in the pipeline.
Below is Akua Poku's Facebook post explaining the new changes to the religious worker visa.
UAE adds 6 countries to visa-on-arrival list
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had expanded its visa-on-arrival programme to include nationals of six countries.
They include citizens of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa.
However, nationals of these countries must hold a valid residence permit from specific countries such as the United States, a member state of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada.
Source: YEN.com.gh
