USCCB Backs Bill to Protect Foreign-Born Religious Workers | EWTN News Nightly

About this sermon

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging Congress to support the “Religious Workforce Protection Act,” a bill aimed at helping foreign-born priests and religious workers in the U.S. Currently, many serve legally under R-1 non-immigrant religious worker visas, which typically expire after five years. Many apply for EB-4 visas to extend their stay, but a 2023 legal change has caused a significant backlog. The proposed bill would allow the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend R-1 status for religious workers to address this issue. David Spicer, the Assistant Director of Policy, Migration, and Refugee Services with the USCCB, joins to discuss how many foreign-born religious workers are currently serving the Church under the R-1 visa. He also shares how serious the situation is due to the current process and backlog surrounding the EB-4 visa. Lastly, he discusses how likely it is that this bill will pass and be signed by the president. ------------ EWTN News Nightly provides the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Join our Capitol Hill, White House and Rome Correspondents, as well as many other diverse guests daily, to get the latest from the U.S. and the Vatican on topics regarding our Catholic faith and interests. ------------- EWTN News Nightly airs on EWTN weekdays at 6pm & 9pm ET. ------------ Don't miss an episode of EWTN New Nightly. Get updates here: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/ewtn-news-nightly ------------- Sign up today to receive the EWTN News Nightly newsletter: https://www.ewtn.com/enn ------------- Follow EWTN News Nightly on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ewtnnewsnightly Twitter: https://twitter.com/EWTNNewsNightly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewtnnewsnightly/ ------------- Subscribe to EWTN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/EWTN ------------- You can support the EWTN News mission: https://bit.ly/3qDR1qf