Short alert · January 16, 2026
DHS Removed R-1 One-Year Abroad Readmission Rule
Key takeaway
DHS removed the regulatory requirement that certain R-1 nonimmigrant religious workers remain outside the United States for one year before readmission in R status after a prior R-1 stay, according to the EOIR Federal Register notices index for 2026.
DHS removed the regulatory requirement that certain R-1 nonimmigrant religious workers remain outside the United States for one year before readmission in R status after a prior R-1 stay, according to the EOIR Federal Register notices index for 2026.
Religious organizations and R-1 workers should reassess extension, change-of-status, and reentry strategies under current regulations and consular practice. Removal of the one-year rule does not eliminate other R-1 eligibility requirements.
Consular officers and USCIS may still review maintenance of status, denominational affiliation, and other statutory criteria.
Who may be affected
R-1 religious workers and sponsoring religious denominations planning extensions or reentries.
What to do next
- Locate the final rule text on the EOIR Federal Register notices 2026 index.
- Review prior R-1 approval periods and I-94 records.
- Coordinate with counsel before international travel or new R petitions.
- Preserve denominational authorization and compensation documentation.
- Do not assume automatic approval—each filing remains case-specific.
What to do next
- Save the full notice, receipt, envelope, and any deadline exactly as written.
- Write a short timeline with dates, agency names, court or facility names, and prior filings.
- If ICE, court, detention, an RFE, NOID, denial, or a close deadline is involved, start intake and mark the issue urgent.
Sources
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