July 29, 2008 Jonathan R. Scharfen Acting Director U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 20 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20529 Re: Religious Worker Visa Program Dear Mr. Scharfen: We write to urgently request your support for and assistance with the Religious Worker Visa Program (“RWVP”). We are concerned that without your help, religious workers from across the country who are eligible for adjustment of status will not have an opportunity to obtain green cards under the RWVP. The special immigrant non-minister provisions of the RWVP were enacted into law as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. Under these important provisions, up to 5,000 visas each year are available for non-minister religious workers and their immediate family members. These workers are employed by a broad range of religious denominations and organizations. Religious communities that participate in the RWVP find these visas of vital importance to carrying out their work. The special immigrant non-minister categories are set to expire on September 30, 2008. While there are currently efforts in Congress to extend this portion of the RWVP, we are concerned that Congress may not enact an extension of these provisions by the September 30, 2008 sunset date. In previous years when the sunset date has approached, legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service took the position that the entire adjudicatory process must be completed by September 30 for a religious worker to qualify for adjustment of status under the RWVP. In other words, the Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551 must be issued by that date. Should USCIS continue the same regulatory practice, religious workers with pending adjustment of status applications will not be able to obtain permanent residency if their applications are not adjudicated by September 30, 2008. To avoid this severe consequence for religious organizations and workers who have followed all the rules and are merely waiting for their applications to be processed, the undersigned religious
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organizations request expedited adjudication of pending adjustment of status cases for the affected religious workers. We thank you for your assistance, and reiterate the vital importance of these visas to our organizations. Sincerely, Agudath Israel of America American Jewish Committee The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church of Scientology International The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, MA Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Jubilee Campaign USA Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service National Association of Evangelicals National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops World Relief
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