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CV NEWS FEED // Auxiliary Bishop Edmund J. Whalen of the Archdiocese of New York is calling on Catholics to take action in support of foreign clergy members who potentially face deportation from the United States due to new visa provisions.
In a September 6 interview with The Good Newsroom, Bishop Whalen urged the faithful to write to their elected officials, both locally and nationally, to address the delays and issues surrounding the R-1 nonimmigrant religious worker visa, which permits foreign nationals to temporarily work in the U.S. in religious roles.
He emphasized local parishes’ need for international priests, telling The Good Newsroom, “We would not be able to maintain the service in the parishes that we provide were it not for our international priests.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, the Department of State instituted new visa provisions, effective May 1, 2023, that eliminated separate final action and filing dates for certain nonimmigrant workers, including religious workers, leading to delays in visa applications and work authorization. The new policy could lead to religious workers having to leave the country on short notice.
The CatholicVote report shared that the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey filed a lawsuit challenging the State Department and other federal agencies over the visa process, arguing that the current system unlawfully hinders the ability of foreign clergy to renew their visas and continue their service in the U.S.
