North Texas Pastor Self-Deporting as Visa Backlog Blocks Green Card

(GORDON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES) A North Texas pastor plans to leave the country after years of delays blocked his path to permanent residency, underscoring mounting pressure on foreign-born faith leaders caught in the green card backlog. Pastor Albert Oliveira, who leads First Baptist Church in Gordon, said he will pursue self-deportation with his family this fall, after running out of options to remain in the United States legally once his R-1 visa—a nonimmigrant visa for religious workers—expires on November 15, 2025. The family has already booked a one-way flight to Brazil for November 2025.

Oliveira arrived from Brazil in 2011 on a student visa and has served the Gordon congregation for five years under the R-1 visa. Supporters describe him as the spiritual anchor of a small Texas town that relies on his counseling, hospital visits, and community outreach. Despite more than a decade of legal presence and steady work, his attempts to adjust status to a green card have run into the same wall facing many religious workers: a long-running green card backlog and policy shifts that have narrowed practical options.

The case highlights a little-seen corner of U.S. immigration policy where faithful service does not guarantee stability. Religious workers often move from an R-1 visa—issued in two-year increments, with a maximum stay of five years—to a permanent role through the special immigrant religious worker route, commonly handled by filing Form I-360 (Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant). But Oliveira’s efforts to advance were delayed by the green card backlog and by recent policy changes under President Biden that, according to advocates, removed or limited pathways that once offered breathing room while cases were pending.

Local church members say the human cost is immediate. Families are planning farewells. Volunteers are reorganizing food drives. Youth leaders are stepping up. And a congregation that found stability in a trusted pastor is now bracing for transition. Immigration advocates describe the decision as heartbreaking but unsurprising. They argue that faith leaders like Oliveira, who have lived, worked, and paid taxes for years, are exactly the kind of community figures the system should be able to keep.

How the R-1 to Green Card Process Works

Immigration law does offer a route from R-1 visa to permanent residence, but it’s complex and slow. In most cases, a religious organization files Form I-360 to classify the worker under the employment-based fourth preference (EB-4) category. Because the EB-4 category often faces a backlog, applicants typically wait for a current priority date before they can apply for a green card through Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).

The backlog—tracked monthly in the State Department’s Visa Bulletin—has grown in recent years, leaving many with approved petitions but no immediate path to file for permanent residency. The Visa Bulletin is available here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html

Procedural steps (typical)

1. A religious employer files Form I-360 to classify the worker under EB-4.
2. The worker waits for a priority date to become current in the Visa Bulletin.
3. When the priority date is current, the worker files Form I-485 to apply for adjustment of status.
4. Work and travel benefits tied to a pending Form I-485—which can offer stability—aren’t available until that filing is made.

Common delays and consequences

• The EB-4 backlog can push priority dates backward or stall them for months or years.
• Without a current priority date, applicants can have approved I-360 petitions but cannot file I-485.
• Absent a pending I-485, applicants lack work authorization and travel parole benefits that otherwise provide interim protections.

Policy Context and Recent Changes

The R-1 visa lets churches, mosques, synagogues, and other bona fide religious organizations hire ministers and religious workers for limited periods. It’s a vital tool for rural and small-town communities that struggle to recruit pastors and staff.

Yet the visa is temporary by design and, without timely progress on a green card, sets a hard deadline for departure. When delays drag on, workers face a choice: overstay and risk future bans, or depart on time—a choice advocates simply call self-deportation.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, religious workers can be trapped in a cycle: R-1 renewals keep them compliant for a while, but when the five-year limit approaches, the green card backlog and shifting policy guidance can leave them no avenue to remain. In that situation, even strong community ties and employer support may not overcome the calendar.

Advocates say recent policy changes under President Biden have tightened the room to maneuver during backlogs. While intended to standardize rules, those shifts have left some long-serving religious leaders without interim protections. In Oliveira’s case, supporters say the combined effect of the EB-4 delays and these changes blocked any realistic way to bridge the gap before the R-1 end date.

Community Impact and Next Steps

Oliveira’s departure carries practical and emotional consequences. Rural congregations often rely on a single pastor to run weekly services, manage funerals and weddings, lead youth programs, and coordinate social support for the elderly. When a leader leaves with little runway, the burden falls on volunteers and visiting clergy.

For towns like Gordon, the change can be felt beyond the church walls—touching school events, local charities, and crisis response.

The decision to self-deport also affects families:
– Children settled in schools face sudden moves.
– Spouses must pause careers.
– Housing and insurance arrangements shift quickly.

Church leaders say they’re rushing to plan coverage for holidays and pastoral care after November, while preparing to help the family relocate with dignity.

Advocacy groups argue this is not an isolated case. They report more self-deportation among foreign-born religious workers who cannot overcome the green card backlog before the R-1 clock runs out. They call for targeted fixes, such as:
– Recapturing unused visa numbers.
– Creating relief that allows continuous ministry during backlogs.

Immigration lawyers stress that even modest updates could prevent abrupt departures that destabilize small communities.

“Faith leaders who have lived, worked, and paid taxes for years are exactly the kind of community figures the system should be able to keep.”
— Immigration advocates quoted by supporters of reform

Practical Guidance for Affected Families

Practical guidance for families in similar situations centers on documentation and timing:

• Track the R-1 timeline carefully and keep copies of all approvals.
• Confirm whether an I-360 was filed and the priority date assigned.
• Check the monthly Visa Bulletin for movement in the EB-4 category.
• If eligible to file Form I-485, consider doing so promptly to access work authorization and travel parole while the case is pending.
• Speak with experienced counsel early to review any narrow options that may remain as the R-1 deadline approaches.

Direct links for those forms are available on official pages: Form I-360 is at https://www.uscis.gov/i-360, and Form I-485 is at https://www.uscis.gov/i-485. These are critical for religious workers and their employers to understand the steps, evidence, and timing rules.

What’s Next for Gordon and Oliveira

As for the Gordon congregation, members say they plan to keep the church’s doors open, welcome guest pastors, and continue programs Pastor Oliveira helped build. They describe the coming months as a time to honor his service while seeking stable leadership for the next chapter.

For Oliveira, the plan is to return to Brazil with his family in November 2025 and decide from there whether future changes in U.S. policy might allow a lawful return.

The broader question remains whether the current framework can meet the needs of small American communities that depend on foreign-born ministers. The R-1 visa supplies short-term help, but without a reliable bridge to permanent status, it can end with an abrupt exit. Supporters of reform say that’s the lesson of Gordon: a faithful worker, a caring family, and a close-knit church all pulled into uncertainty by a backlog they cannot control.