“Let Them Serve”: Catholic Bishops Demand Relief for Immigrant Religious Workers

With bipartisan muscle and episcopal blessing, the Religious Workforce Protection Act could keep immigrant clergy in U.S. communities—but Congress needs to move fast.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has thrown its weight behind the Religious Workforce Protection Act (RWPA), a bipartisan bill championed by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Representatives Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), and Pete Stauber (R-Minn.). The legislation aims to shield foreign-born religious workers, including Catholic priests and religious sisters, from visa backlogs that threaten their ability to serve American communities.

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In a letter dated April 10, signed by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, USCCB president, and Bishop Mark J. Seitz, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, the bishops urged Congress to swiftly pass the RWPA (S. 1298/H.R. 2672). The bill addresses a growing crisis caused by delays in the employment-based fourth preference (EB-4) visa category, which many religious workers rely on for permanent residency.

“Without this relief, R-1 visa holders awaiting adjustment are forced to depart the country and abandon their ministries,” the bishops wrote, noting that current regulations bar these workers from returning for at least one year. This has already disrupted parishes, hospitals, and schools, particularly in rural and immigrant-heavy areas where foreign-born clergy provide critical linguistic and cultural expertise.