R2 Visa

Definition of R2 Visa:

The R2 visa is a US temporary visa that authorizes the spouse and unmarried child (below 21 years) of an R1 visa holder to enter into the United States. The R2 status holders can stay in the country as long as the R1 holders remain in legal status. In other words, an individual lose his/her R-2 status once the principal R-1 person loses lawful status.

The R1 visa is a non-immigrant religious work visa issued to the following categories:

• Members of religious group or community who have an authentic nonprofit, religious institute in the United States.
• Aliens entering the US to work exclusively as the minister of a religious community or group.
• The US nonprofit religious organizations that recruit alien religious workers in various religious vocations, including religious instructors, liturgical workers, missionaries, catechists, etc

One can enjoy the following benefits on R-2 visa:

On R-2 dependent visa, an individual can:

• Participate in full-time course of study in the U.S.
• Travel freely in and out of the US during the valid visa period.
• Apply for permanent residency status (“Green Card”).

Note: If you want to change the purpose of your visit while you reside in the country on a R2 visa, then you have to change or adjust your visa status. For this purpose, the R2 visa holder must file Form I-360 (application for special immigrant) and Form I-485 (application for Adjustment of Status).

Employment Regulations:

Under any circumstances, persons holding R2 are not allowed to earn income in the US. To be exact, the R-2 visa holders can not accept any employment. If they wish to work in the country, they must obtain a work visa, which is a temporary approval to live and work in the country.

Extension of stay:

The initial R-2 visa may be granted for a period of up to three years. The R2 holder can apply for extension, if he/she wishes to stay longer. In this case, the applicant must submit Form I-129 (petition for a nonimmigrant worker extension) to the USCIS. In general, extension of stay may be approved for a period of up to two years. To be clear, the total period of stay for a person holding R2 dependent visa may not exceed five years.

Documents required for applying R2 visa:

While applying for R-2 visa, the documents required include:

• All documents required for R-1 visa.
• Original birth certificate for each child.
• Marriage registration certificate.
• Proof of a marital relationship, such as wedding ceremony photos.
• A fine quality photocopy (all 36 pages) or the original of the spouse's passport.
• Evidence of financial support.
• The copy of the contract between the employer and the R1 religious worker in the US.