For many religious workers, the U.S. green card process can be confusing and overwhelming. This article explains how the Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) green card works. It focuses especially on religious workers, including both ministers and non-ministers.
How Many Green Cards Are Available Every Year?
Each year, the U.S. allows around 675,000 people to get green cards through various paths:
- Around 226,000 go to family-based categories (for certain relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents).
- Around 140,000 go to employment-based categories (like EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4, and EB-5).
- Around 55,000 go to people selected in the Diversity Visa lottery.
Religious workers apply under the employment-based category known as EB-4.
How Are EB-4 Green Cards Divided?
The EB-4 category gets about 9,940 green cards every year. But these green cards are shared by many groups, including:
- Religious workers (both ministers and non-ministers)
- Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ)
- U.S. government employees overseas
- Armed forces members
- Broadcasters, and others
In recent years, SIJs have taken a large share. They account for about 6,000 to 7,000 per year. This leaves around 2,000 to 3,000 per year for religious workers.
Who Counts as a Minister vs. Non-Minister Religious Worker?
- Ministers: These are religious leaders who conduct religious worship, lead services, and perform religious rites (like priests, pastors, imams, rabbis, monks, Hindu temple priests, etc.). This group has no expiration and is permanently part of the law.
- Non-Minister Religious Workers: These are people who conduct religious duties but don’t lead worship (like religious teachers, missionaries, cantors, religious cooks preparing sacred food, or religious sculptors). This category needs Congress to extend the law every few years.
Does Visa Availability Affect When I Can File?
- You can file Form I-360 (the first petition step) at any time as long as the category is authorized. (Minister category are always authorized)
- However, you can only file Form I-485 (the actual green card application) when your priority date is current. You must check the Visa Bulletin to confirm this.
Why Are There Backlogs in EB-4?
Because Special Immigrant Juvenile cases have increased greatly, they use most of the EB-4 visa numbers. This causes backlogs for both ministers and non-ministers.
- As of early 2025, about 13,000 I-485 applications are already waiting in line.
- Many more I-360 petitions have been approved but have not yet reached the I-485 stage due to visa number backlogs.
- Each year, about 2,000 to 3,000 green cards are available for religious workers. The current waiting time is roughly 2-3 years. New applications keep adding to the queue.
What Happened in 2025?
- EB-4 ran out of available visas on February 28, 2025.
- Since March 2025, the EB-4 category has been “unavailable” for all countries.
- In January 2025, right before visas ran out, the cut-off date was January 1, 2021. This meant only people with a priority date before that could file their green card applications.
When Will EB-4 Visas Be Available Again?
- The new fiscal year starts on October 1, 2025.
- Once new visa numbers are available, the government will announce new cut-off dates. We don’t know for sure what the dates will be. It may still be several years behind due to the backlog.
What Should Religious Workers and Organizations Do?
- File I-360 as early as possible: You don’t need visa availability to file the I-360 petition. (unless non-minister category expired and government did not renew it. It has been routinely renewed over the years)
- Monitor the Visa Bulletin: This tells you when you can file the I-485 adjustment application.
- Work with legal counsel: The rules for ministers and non-ministers are different, and mistakes can delay your case.
- Understand the sunset rule: For non-ministers, Congress must periodically extend the program. As of now, the non-minister program is authorized through September 30, 2025.
Simple Summary:
- Ministers and non-minister religious workers both face backlogs due to limited visa numbers.
- Most of the EB-4 visa numbers today are used by Special Immigrant Juveniles, leaving fewer for religious workers.
- The current wait time for religious workers is roughly 2-3 years, but may vary based on future demand.
- Filing early and understanding the rules is key to avoiding delays.
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