R-2 Visa for Family of Religious Workers (R-1 Holders)

An R-2 visa is a U.S. nonimmigrant (temporary) visa that may be issued to the spouse and unmarried children (under 21 years) of R-1 visa holders (religious workers). It allows the spouse and children to accompany or join the R-1 visa holder for the duration of the R-1 visa holder's stay in the United States. There is no cap on the number of visas issued under the R-2 category each year.

R-2 Visa Requirements

To be eligible for an R-2 visa, you must be either the spouse or the unmarried child (less than 21 years of age) of a foreign national who has received an R-1 visa (the requirements for which are defined in I.N.A. § 101(a)(15)(R).)

To get an R-1 visa in the first place, your spouse or parent will need to be a religious worker who has been a member of a legitimate religious denomination for the last two years and who plans to come to the United States to carry on these religious-worker activities for a U.S. affiliate of that organization (with the organization's cooperation).

Application Process for an R-2 Visa

To apply for an R-2 visa, you will first need to wait while your spouse or parent's U.S. employer begins the process by filing a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Form I-129.

After that petition is approved by USCIS, you will need to make an appointment at a U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country to apply for the R-1 visa. Or, if you are already staying (legally) in the United States, the U.S. employer might be able to submit a change of status application (Form I-539) at the same time as the I-129 visa petition for their employee, allowing you to switch to R status without leaving the United States.

Note: Citizens of Canada do not need to apply for this type of visa at a U.S. consulate, but can go straight to the U.S. border with the materials described below.

Fees and Costs for an R-2 Visa

The U.S. employer will no doubt pay the USCIS Form I-129 fee (as shown on the USCIS Fee Schedule). However, as a family member, you might have no choice but to pay the R-2 visa fees required by the U.S. consulate, including a processing fee and “reciprocity” fees, if applicable. Check the Fees for Visa Services page of the State Department website for the latest processing fee.

For reciprocity fees, check the State Department’s U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country page to determine whether a reciprocity fee applies and how much you’ll need to pay at the time of your visa interview. First choose your country and then “R” for visa classification to see the dollar amounts.

Documents Needed for an R-2 Visa Application

Your application for a R-2 visa must be made on State Department Form DS–160, which you will fill out online before going to the U.S. consulate in person. If you make your application at the same time as the primary, R-1 visa holder, then you will need to bring the following:

• Your current, valid passport.
• Proof of your relationship to the R-1 visa holder, such as a marriage certificate or a birth certificate (for unmarried children under 21). Bring originals of these documents, not just copies.
• One passport-style photograph of each applicant.
• Documents showing your intention of returning to your home country when your permitted stay in the United States is over, such as copies of a home mortgage or a letter from an employer in your home country saying that your current job will be held open for you during your U.S. stay.
• Receipt for having paid the government application fees described above.

If a family member's application is made separately, then in addition to the above-mentioned R-2-specific documents, it must be accompanied by:

• Copy of the spouse/parent’s passport having the R-1 visa.
• Copy of the spouse/parent’s USCIS approval notice of Form I-129 (often called an “I-797 Approval Notice”).
• Copies of R-1 documents submitted by the R-1 visa holder.

Benefits and Limitations of an R-2 Visa

Here's what you need to be aware of in order to enjoy and maintain your R-2 status while in the United States:

• You will be admitted and allowed to remain in the United States for as long the primary visa holder maintains lawful status. An R-1 is ordinarily allowed to stay in the United States for no more five years in total. But if, for example, the R-1 visa holder is terminated from the job, commits a crime, or otherwise violates the terms of the R-1 visa and it's cancelled, all R-2 visa holders must return home as well.
• R-2 visa holders are not permitted to accept employment in the United States. If you wish to seek a job in the United States, you must apply for a different category of visa or, after you arrive in the United States, find a willing employer and apply to change your immigration status so that you have your own work-based nonimmigrant visa.
• You can, as an R-2, attend any full- or part-time school or college without having to apply for an F-1 student visa.

R-2 Visa Extension Procedure

The initial R-2 visa may be granted for a period of up to 30 months. USCIS may approve extensions of stay for a period of up to 30 months, as well. The total period of stay for a foreign national holding an R-2 visa may not exceed five years. After that, the visa holder must return home to live before applying anew for an R-1 visa. Although it used to be that a minimum one-year residence abroad was required before reapplying for an R-1, that minimum was eliminated in 2026. (See DHS Reduces Wait Times for Thousands of Religious Workers Abroad.)

Can You Convert From R-2 Temporary Status to Permanent Resident Status?

There is no direct path from an R visa to a U.S. green card (lawful permanent residence). In fact, one of the conditions of the R visa is that its holders intend to return home when their permitted stay is over.

If, however, you become otherwise eligible for a green card, talk to an experienced immigration lawyer. It could be possible for you to obtain it, but submitting the green card application could also put your current R-2 visa status at risk, because it would show that you have a mix of intentions.