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CONSULAR
SECTION
Avenida Arce 2780 between calles Campos and Cordero
Webpage: http://bolivia.usembassy.gov
Email: Consularlapaz@state.gov
TEMPORARY
RELIGIOUS WORKERS (R)
DEFINITION
OF RELIGIOUS WORKERS
Religious workers include ministers of religion who are authorized
by a recognized denomination to conduct religious worship and
perform other duties usually performed by members of the clergy
such as administering the sacraments, or their equivalent. The
term does not apply to lay preachers. A religious vocation means
a calling to religious life, evidenced by the demonstration of
a lifelong commitment, such as taking vows. Examples include nuns,
monks, and religious brothers and sisters. A religious occupation
means a habitual engagement in an activity that relates to a traditional
religious function. Examples: liturgical workers, religious instructors
or cantors, catechists, workers in religious hospitals, missionaries,
religious translators, or religious broadcasters. It does not
include janitors, maintenance workers, clerks, fundraisers, solicitors
of donations, or similar occupations. The activity of a lay-person
who will be engaged in a religious occupation must relate to a
traditional religious function: i.e., the activity must embody
the tenets of the religion and have religious significance, relating
primarily, if not exclusively, to matters of the spirit as they
apply to the religion.
BACKGROUND
REQUIREMENTS
-
The applicant must be a member of a religious denomination having
a bona fide nonprofit religious organization in the U.S.;
-
The religious denomination and its affiliate, if applicable,
are exempt from taxation, or the religious denomination qualifies
for tax-exempt status;
-
The applicant has been a member of the denomination for two
years immediately preceding admission;
-
The applicant is entering the United States solely to carry
on the vocation of a minister of that denomination, or, at the
request of the organization, the applicant is entering the United
States to work in a religious vocation or occupation for the
denomination or for an organization affiliated with the denomination,
whether in a professional capacity or not; and
-
The applicant has resided and been physically present outside
the United States for the immediate prior year if he or she
has previously spent five years in this classification.
ADDITIONAL
DOCUMENTATION
The applicant must be prepared to present to the consular officer
any or all of the following documentation to verify that the applicant
and the religious organization qualify for the R status:
1. Proof of tax-exempt status or eligibility for tax-exempt status,
and
2. A letter from an authorized official of the specific unit of
the employing organization certifying:
-
That if the applicant’s religious membership was maintained,
in whole or in part, outside the United States, the foreign
and United States religious organizations belong to the same
religious denomination;
-
That, immediately prior to the application for the R visa, the
alien has been a member of the religious denomination for the
required two-year period;
-
That, (as appropriate):
- If the applicant is a minister, he or she is authorized to
conduct religious worship for that denomination. The duties
should be described in detail; or
- If the applicant is a religious professional, he or she has
at least a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, and that such
a degree is required for entry into the religious profession;
or
- If the applicant is to work in a nonprofessional vocation
or occupation, he or she is qualified if the type of work to
be done relates to a traditional religious function;
-
The arrangements for remuneration, including the amount and
source of salary, other types of compensation such as food and
housing, and any other benefits to which a monetary value may
be affixed, and a statement whether such remuneration shall
be in exchange for services rendered;
-
The name and location of the specific organizational unit of
the religious denomination or affiliate for which the applicant
will be providing services; and
-
If the alien is to work for an organization which is affiliated
with a religious denomination, a description of the nature of
the relationship between the two organizations:
- evidence of the religious organization’s assets and
methods of operation; and
- the organization’s papers of incorporation under applicable
state law.
GENERAL PROCEDURES
1.
Request an appointment for an interview with the Consular Section
via any DHL Courier Worldwide Express office in Bolivia. The following
documents must be submitted:
-
Interview request form (available at DHL)
-
Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form DS-156.
As the form is a sworn statement, all questions should be answered.
A separate form must be filled out for every person traveling,
including children. The Form is available on our webpage, at
DHL, at the US Embassy in La Paz, and at the Consular Agencies
in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba.
-
Supplementary Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form DS-157
only for men between the ages of 16 and 45 (available on our
webpage, at DHL, at the US Embassy in La Paz, and at the Consular
Agencies in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba)
-
Receipt for the $100 visa application fee (to be paid at any
BISA Bank office)
- One
5 x 5 cm. (2 x 2 inch) photograph taken within the last six
months. The photograph should be non-glossy, have a white background,
and be of good quality. The photo must be facing forward and
only the face should be visible. Both color and black and white
photographs are accepted.
-
Photocopy passport page with picture and biographical information.
2. The applicant will be mailed notification via DHL regarding
the date of the interview. All documents will be returned to the
applicant at this time.
3.
On the day of the interview, the applicant must bring all documents
returned to him or her by DHL, his or her valid passport, and
all other documentation detailed on the front side of this sheet.
Religious
workers should generally apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate
with jurisdiction over their place of permanent residence. Although
visa applicants may apply at any U.S. consular office abroad,
it may be more difficult to apply. There is no requirement that
applicants for R visas have a residence abroad that they have
no intention of abandoning, but they must intend to depart the
United States at the end of their lawful status.
Family
Members
A
nonimmigrant religious worker's spouse and unmarried children
under 21 years of age may be granted derivative status (R-2).
They may study but may not accept employment in the United States.
Time
Limits
Holders of
R visas may remain in the U.S. for up to five years to pursue
their calling.
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