USCIS Issues Policy Alert Regarding On-Site Inspections for Religious Worker Petitions

On March 2, 2023, USCIS Issued a Policy Alert regarding on-site inspections for religious worker petitions. The announcement indicated that USCIS is making premium processing available for religious workers without having to first undergo an on-site inspection before filing Form I-129 for the R-1 Classification.

USCIS also clarified that they are no longer conducting mandatory pre-approval compliance review on-site inspections of all petitioners for religious workers, and instead will be doing random selections for on-site inspections, which will normally occur after the approval of the petition. They also reserve the  right to conduct “for cause” inspections at any time in cases where there is suspected non-compliance with the terms of the religious worker petition or for fraud. Lastly, USCIS clarified that, if applicable, USCIS may issue a request for evidence or notice of intent to deny based on the findings of a pre-adjudication inspection, or a notice of intent to revoke based on the findings of a post-adjudication inspection, and the petitioner will have an opportunity to respond.

Link: USCIS On-Site Inspections for Religious Worker Petitions