Question regarding R1 & R2 visa (religious)

[Andrea&Henry 311]

Hi! I got some questions regarding the religious visa, cause my husband and I are trying to help our Church's pastor. Well, he is a colombian baptist pastor who came to the States almost 2 years ago, but he has been going in and outside the States constantly (he spends 6 month in Colombia, return for 8 month and then go back to Colombia) he has been back and forth cause keeps working with his minister in colombia. He is not a permanent resident only a R1visa holder. He met a peruvian woman in Colombia and felt in love. He got marry in October in Colombia and he brought her here with him on late january. I know that R1 holders can bring their spouse and kids with a R2 visa, but I think she entered here with a tourist. I guess he applied for her R2 visa once she got here. We have a few questions: I know his wife can NOT work with an R2 visa, but what else she cannot do? Can she gets a driver license? What other restrictions has the R2 visa?. My pastor wants to apply for the greencard cause he already has 2 years with his R1, but he went back to colombia several times, can still apply for his green card? What about his wife? Can she apply too? Thanks!

Edited March 15, 2013 by Andrea&Henry

[canadian_wife 1,791]

Driver's licences are issued by the state, since each state has different requirements, you'l need to contact the state DMV or DOT to find out

good luck

[GUSBEN 0]

The best think to do is to the DMV with your passport showing the visa stamped or the approval notice (I797 i think). with this even you don;t have a Social Security Number you can get your driver license.

And for apply to a Greencard from a R visa. If he can prove 2 years working continuously for the same church will be able to get the Green Card. The documents for a EB4 (Religious visa) is very similar to the documents to get the R visa (the church need to show that the petitioner works for them and the pastor show his taxes)

[wingsofangel 0]

May I please ask a question regarding religious worker visas ? My husband has lived in UK for last two years with me, we have a child, I also have two more children under 11, he has gone to the states, he is a pastor, am I able to join him as the wife of a pastor on a religious visa R1 and the children on R2 please, does it cover wife's of missionary's, although he isn't a missionary in his own country?

[TBoneTX 43,048]

*** Old thread closed; recent question has been asked in a different thread, which has been moved from Work Visas to the CR-1 Process forum. ***