GORDON, Texas — Thousands of faith leaders across the U.S. are facing a difficult challenge: a backlog in religious worker visas is forcing many to leave their churches and sometimes the country altogether.

One such case is Pastor Albert Oliveira , a Brazilian-born minister, who recently held his last in-person service at First Baptist Church in Gordon, Texas, before self-deporting to Brazil.

Oliveira has been in the U.S. on a special religious worker visa, which was about to expire. Despite years of navigating the complex immigration system and paying over $30,000 in fees, his green card application remains pending. To avoid breaking the law, Oliveira, his German-born wife Caroline, and their 3-year-old American-born son had to leave for Brazil.

“It’s not my fault that there’s a ba

See Full Page