H.R. 772House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Religious Worker Visa Reciprocity Act of 2019

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 12:59 AM UTC

The Religious Worker Visa Reciprocity Act of 2019 would make it so that the United States only grants special immigrant religious worker visas to people from countries that treat U.S. citizens the same way. In other words, a foreign country must offer comparable immigration opportunities to Americans who want to work in religious roles before the U.S. can approve a visa for a religious worker from that country. The bill targets special immigrant religious workers and U.S. nationals seeking religious‑occupation visas abroad.

Key Provisions

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to add a new restriction on special immigrant religious worker petitions.
Effective Oct. 1, 2017, a petition cannot be approved if the applicant’s country is listed as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ or highlighted for religious‑freedom issues in the 2018 International Religious Freedom Report.
A petition also cannot be approved if that country does not provide reciprocal immigration treatment to U.S. nationals seeking religious‑occupation resident status.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee

March 5, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 24, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

January 24, 2019

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee

March 5, 2019

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 24, 2019

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 772

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 24, 2019

Mr. King of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To require the country of origin of certain special immigrant religious workers to extend reciprocal immigration treatment to nationals of the United States.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Religious Worker Visa Reciprocity Act of 2019.

Requiring reciprocal immigration treatment

Section 204(a)(1)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(G)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(iii)

Beginning on October 1, 2017, no petition may be approved for classification of an alien as a special immigrant under section 101(a)(27)(C) if the Secretary of Homeland Security has determined that the country of the alien’s nationality—

(I)

is identified as a Country of Particular Concern or a country where religious freedom is of significant interest in the 2018 International Religious Freedom Report; or

(II)

does not extend reciprocal immigration treatment to nationals of the United States who are seeking resident status in order to work in a religious vocation or occupation.