VAWA I-360 | Religious Worker

VAWA I-360, Petition for Religous Workers, is designed for foreign nationals wishing to begin the green card (lawful permanent residence) application process within one of the below “special immigrant visa” categories.

Qualifications

  • You properly file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
  • You are physically present in the United States at the time you file your Form I-485
  • You are eligible to receive an immigrant visa
  • An immigrant visa is immediately available to you at the time you file your Form I-485 and when USCIS makes a final decision on your application
  • None of the bars to adjustment of status apply (depending on how you entered the United States or if you committed a particular act or violation of immigration law, you may be barred from adjusting status. However, VAWA self-petitioners and beneficiaries are exempt from all of these bars to adjustment)
  • You are admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility or other form of relief
  • You merit the favorable exercise of USCIS' discretion
  • A special immigrant. A special immigrant is one of the following:
  • Religious worker
  • Panama Canal company employee, Canal Zone government employee, or U.S. government in the Canal Zone employee
  • Physician licensed and practicing medicine in a U.S. state as of Jan. 9, 1978
  • International organization or NATO-6 employee or family member
  • Juvenile who needs the protection of a juvenile court because they have been abused, neglected or abandoned by a parent
  • U.S. armed forces member
  • Afghan or Iraqi national who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government as a translator
  • Iraqi national who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq
  • An Afghan national who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government or the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan
  • Broadcasters for the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) or for a USAGM grantee

What You'll Need

  • A valid determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) establishing the organization is a tax exempt or establishing that the group is tax-exempt if the religious organization is covered under a group tax exemption
  • A Prospective Employer Attestation (in Part 9 of Form I-360) and a certification completed, signed, and dated by an authorized official of the prospective employer of the beneficiary seeking religious worker status
  • For a bona fide organization affiliated with the religious denomination, if the organization was granted tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986 section 501(c)(3) (or a subsequent amendment or equivalent sections of prior enactments of the IRC) as something other than a religious organization, include the following:
  • A valid determination letter from the IRS establishing the organization is a tax-exempt organization
  • Documentation that establishes the religious nature and purpose of the organization
  • Organizational literature describing the religious purpose and nature of the activities of the organization
  • A Religious Denomination Certification (in Part 9 of Form I-360) completed, signed, and dated by the religious organization certifying the petitioning organization is affiliated with the religious denomination

Questions? Contact us.

Whatever your immigration issue may be, we are here to help. Our team of attorneys and staff work hard to help you reach your goals.

FAQs

Is there a fee to file the VAWA I-360?
Yes, there is an $435 filing fee for the VAWA I-360. However, you are exempt from paying the fee if you are:
  • An Amerasian
  • A self-petitioning abused spouse or child of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident under VAWA
  • A self-petitioning abused parent of a U.S. citizen under VAWA
  • A Special Immigrant Juveniles
  • An Iraqi national who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq
  • An Afghan national who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan
How can I file my VAWA I-360 form?

You can file your form online or by mail. Filing online allows you to:

  • Pay your filing fee online
  • Check the status of your case
  • Receive notifications and case updates
  • View personalized case completion date estimates
  • Respond to requests for evidence
  • Manage your contact information, including updating your address

 

You can create an account to file online. You can also mail your form to your region’s designated USCIS office.

Of course, you can choose to manage your case independently. However, working with immigration experts can help you navigate the process and provide guidance throughout.

You may be represented, at no expense to the U.S. government, by an attorney or other duly authorized representative. Your representative must submit Form G-28, Notice of Entry or Appearance as Attorney or Representative. Your representative may also submit Form G-28 at the time of your interview.

Why should I work with ImmigrationUSA?

Immigration issues can be quite complicated. Combine that with the current rate of change in U.S. policies, it can be hard to keep up. Our team puts their experience to work for you and your particular situation. We work hard to stay on top of policy changes and are prepared for changes down the line. We offer patented online software, MyEsq, that streamlines the filing process and makes our knowledgeable team of lawyers just a click away.

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in U.S. Immigration.

Plans are in process for a mass deportation program, according to Tom Homan, who has been chosen by President-elect Trump to serve as Border Czar.

Asylum officers will now have the power to decide if migrants are not allowed to apply for asylum due to public safety or national security reasons, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) made a formal recommendation to improve the process for filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, which is used for family-based immigration petitions.

The H-1B visa changes, first proposed in late 2023, are now finalized. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the rule in the Federal Register.