Anyone recently applied for R-1 status (religious worker)?

[msv5450]

Has anyone recently applied for change of status to R-1 lately?
How long is the processing time these days? I've heard that it has become difficult and lengthy.

 

[SusieQQQ]

When you say processing “has become difficult and lengthy”, are you specifically talking about R1, or about change of status in general? General change of status applications are taking 4-7.5 months for the “all other” category, which would include R.

 

[msv5450]

When you say processing “has become difficult and lengthy”, are you specifically talking about R1, or about change of status in general? General change of status applications are taking 4-7.5 months for the “all other” category, which would include R.

I've heard that change of status to R-1 has become specifically difficult because of many central Americans flying to the US with tourists visas and then file for change of status to R-1 through suspicious organizations. That's why USCIS has been scrutinizing COS to R-1 by inspecting the organizations.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Nothing wrong with scrutinizing the sponsoring organizations imo.
Dodgy game, change of status from B visas, given the lengthy processing periods and risk of deemed overstay (= tourist visa voided) if denied.

 

[nriservice]

Has anyone recently applied for change of status to R-1 lately?
How long is the processing time these days? I've heard that it has become difficult and lengthy.

The average R1 visa processing time is about six months as the USCIS needs to visit the premises of the organization and then respond to whether they issue the religious worker visa or not. It could take another two or three months for the USCIS to work on the visa application and issue the visa.