There is a special immigration program that allows m-ssi-naries to come to the U.S. permanently.   However, it is based on a statute that has a Sunset Date — meaning that on that date, the immigration program will end.    The statute actually has two parts — one for m-nisters and one for R-ligious workers.   The immigration program for the m-nisters does not expire.   But, they put a Sunset Date in the part of the statute governing R-ligious workers.

That Sunset date used to come every three years, and for quite a while, they extended the program every three years.    Last year, when the date came up, they extended it to December 2015, and then, in December, they extended it only nine months more, to September 30, 2016.

Days before this past September 30, Congress (and the President), extended the program until December 9, 2016.

We don’t know what is going to happen.   If they extend it (either for a month, or nine months, or three years), the USCIS will continue working on any R-ligious Worker Green Card petition or application that they have or will receive.   And they will be able to issue green cards up to the date that the statute expires.

However, if they do not extend the statute, all non-m-nister R-ligious Worker green card petitions and applications in process will expire, and no new green cards will be issued, and no new petitions or applications will be received.   And, if someone abroad has received a non-m-nisterial R-ligious Worker Immigrant Visa, they must enter the U.S. by December 8, 2016, or they will not be allowed to enter with that visa.  It is possible that they could come in as late as December 9, 2016, but I would not count on it.

Remember that this only applies to Non-M-nisterial R-ligious Worker Immigrants.   People who are applying for R-ligious Worker Immigrant status as m-nisters will continue to be eligible to receive green cards because their program does not have a sunset date.