,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abih  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #c1     
#bjbe ,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,ms4    
,collins1 and ,mr4 ,risch7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on the  
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the
 continuation of lawful nonimmigrant    
status for certain religious workers    
affected by the backlog for religious   
worker immigrant visas4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,religious ,workforce ,protection ,act4 
#b4 ,extension of nonimmigrant status   
for religious workers caught in long    
backlogs for lawful permanent residence 
7a7 ,in general ,section #bad7;a77#b7 of
 the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahd7;a77#b77 is amended 
by adding at the end the following3     
7,c7 ,notwithstanding section           
#aja7;a77#ae77,r77ii71 an alien may     
apply for1 and the ,secretary of        
,homeland ,security may grant1 an       

extension of nonimmigrant status under  
section #aja7;a77#ae77,r7 until such    
alien's application for adjustment of   
status or an immigrant visa has been    
processed and a decision has been made  
on such application if the alien-- 7i7  
is the principal or derivative          
beneficiary of an immigrant petition    
filed pursuant to section #bjd7;a7 for a
 preference status under section        
#bjc7;b77#d72 and  7ii7 is eligible to  
be granted such immigrant status absent 
the application of the numerical        
limitations under sections #bja1 #bjb1  
and #bjc4  4  7b7 ,conforming amendment 
,section #aja7;a77#ae77,r77ii7 of the   
,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h  
,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ae77,r77ii77 is    
amended by inserting 1 except as        
provided in section #bad7;a77#b77;,c71  
after #e years4  #c4 ,limited job       
flexibility for certain religious       
workers with long-delayed applications  
for lawful permanent residence ,section 
#bjd7;j7 of the ,immigration and        

,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         
#aaed7;j77 is amended by striking       
subsection 7a77#a77;,d7 and inserting   
subsection 7a77#a77;,f7 or subsection   
7a77#a77;,g77i7 7with respect to special
 immigrants described in section        
#aja7;a77#bg77;,c774  #d4 ,exemption to 
#a-year foreign residence requirement   
for certain nonimmigrant religious      
workers ,an alien described in section  
#bad7;a77#b77;,c7 of the ,immigration   
and ,nationality ,act1 as added by      
section #b7;a71 who departed from the   
,united ,states due to the #e-year      
limitation on nonimmigrant status under 
section #aja7;a77#ae77,r7 of such ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ae77,r77 shall 
be exempt from the #a-year foreign      
residence requirement set forth in      
section #bad4b7r77#f7 of title #h1 ,code
 of ,federal ,regulations4