John Valdez’s Legal Blog

Congress has a way of putting off legislation until the last second.  Take for example the Religious Worker and EB-5 Regional Center programs.  Throughout my years of practice, I have watched Congress wait until the last second to renew these categories before they sunset.  Sometimes, Congress has allowed the religious worker statute to sunset, only to renew it shortly afterward. 

Expect to see a similar pattern this year.  The religious worker statute and the EB-5 Regional Center statutes are due to expire next month.  Both were due to expire last year, but President Bush extended the programs until March 6, 2009.  He signed a continuing resolution which extended the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program and the Special Immigrant Nonimmister Religious Worker Program Act, both of which extended the laws for a six month period.

The religous worker program allows religious organizations to bring well-intending individuals to the U.S. to perform religious work.  Usually this work does not pay much and calls for a dedicated commitment from the individual.  The EB-5 regional program allows certain investors to acheive permanent residence after commiting a large sum of money to a U.S. business that will create at least 10 jobs for U.S. workers.

Both of these programs are needed in the U.S.  My best estimate is that these programs will be extended right around the deadline:  March 6, 2009.  I’ll keep you updated in legislation in these areas.  Meanwhile, if you need assistance with either category, please contact Smith & Garg’s Long Beach immigration attorneys.