Various supporting materials are required from both the religious organization and the alien.

From the Nonprofit Religious Organization

• Proof of tax-exempt status, typically with 501(c)(3) letters of verification
• Proof of salaried or unsalaried compensation
  1. This documentation may take the form of a budget, proof of past compensation for a similar position, evidence of room and board provided, or W-2s.
  2. Note that if room and board are provided as part of compensation, then documentation will need to demonstrate both the organization’s intent and ability to provide such.
• Attestation from authorized religious official, demonstrating or answering the following:

1. That the religious organization is a bona fide nonprofit
2. That the intending worker has been a member of the organization for at least two years
3. That the intending worker will work full-time, i.e. no fewer than 35 hours per week
4. That the intending worker will not engage in employment outside the religious organization
5. Job description, job title, and details of salaried or unsalaried compensation
6. The location of the job
7. The number of members of the employer’s organization
8. The number of employees at the job site
9. The number of workers holding R-1 or special immigrant status employed by the organization over the five years prior to EB-4 filing
10. The number of R-1 or special immigrant petitions filed by the organization over the five years prior to EB-4 filing

From the Alien Religious Worker

• Evidence of membership in the denomination indicated for at least two years prior to filing
  • This may take the form of religious certificates, ordinations, letters of acceptance into the denomination, or transcripts showing courses and training completed in the organization.
• Evidence of the intending immigrant’s religious background
  • This may take the form of certificates of ordination or letters memorializing status as a minister or related religious position.
• Evidence of having been employed full-time by the same religious denomination in a religious occupation for the two years preceding EB-4 filing
• If the position is unsalaried:
  • Evidence as to why it is not salaried
  • Evidence of alien’s financial ability to support him- or herself (e.g., bank statements)

The updated filing fee for EB-4 can be found here. 

Requirements:

1. Applicant must be a member of this religious denomination for at least two years;
2. Applicant must be a part of a qualifying religious organization, such that:
   • The organization is a bona fide, nonprofit, religious organization that is exempt from taxation; or
   • The organization is a bona fide organization which is affiliated with the religious denomination that is exempt from taxation; and
3. Applicant must have a qualifying religious occupation, such that:
   • Occupation is an activity which relates to a traditional religious function;
   • It is full-time employment;
   • If within the two years the applicant worked for a different organization than the one petitioning, both organizations must share a common religious doctrine;
   • They fall under the following categories:
     • Ministers- people authorized by a recognized religious denomination to conduct religious worship and to perform other duties usually performed by authorized members of the clergy of that religion;
     • Professional religious position- one for which the minimum requirement is a baccalaureate degree;
     • Religious vocation- a calling to religious life evidenced by the demonstration of commitment practiced in the religious denomination, such as the taking of vows.

Limitations:

1. Applicant’s work must not be volunteer work;
2. Applicant’s work must not be sporadically paid work.

8 CFR §204.5(m)

8 CFR §204.5(m) governs classification of an alien as a special immigrant religious worker as defined in section 101(a)(27)(C) and 203(b)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. To be eligible for classification as a special immigrant religious worker, the alien must:

1. Be a member of a religious denomination having a bona fide non-profit religious organization in the United States for at least two years immediately preceding the time of application for admission.
2. Be coming to the United States to work at least in a full-time position (average of at least 35 hours per week);
   1. Be coming solely as a minister of that religious denomination
   2. A religious vocation either in a professional or nonprofessional capacity; or
   3. A religious occupation either in a professor or nonprofessional capacity.
3. Be coming to work for a bona fide non-profit religious organization in the United States.
4. Have been working in the position continuously for at least the two-year period immediately preceding the filing of the petition.

8 CFR 204.5(m)

(m) Religious workers. This paragraph governs classification of an alien as a special immigrant religious worker as defined in section 101(a)(27)(C) of the Act and under section 203(b)(4) of the Act. To be eligible for classification as a special immigrant religious worker, the alien (either abroad or in the United States) must:

Section 101(a)(27)(C) of Immigration and Nationality Act

(C) an immigrant, and the immigrant’s spouse and children if accompanying or following to join the immigrant, who-

(i) for at least 2 years immediately preceding the time of application for admission, has been a member of a religious denomination having a bona fide nonprofit, religious organization in the United States;

(ii) seeks to enter the United States-

(iii) has been carrying on such vocation, professional work, or other work continuously for at least the 2-year period described in clause (i);

Section 203(b)(4) of Immigration and Nationality Act

(4) Certain special immigrants

Visas shall be made available, in a number not to exceed 7.1 percent of such worldwide level, to qualified special immigrants described in section 1101(a)(27) of this title (other than those described in subparagraph (A) or (B) thereof), of which not more than 5,000 may be made available in any fiscal year to special immigrants described in subclause (II) or (III) of section 1101(a)(27)(C)(ii) of this title, and not more than 100 may be made available in any fiscal year to special immigrants, excluding spouses and children, who are described in section 1101(a)(27)(M) of this title.

Yes, a religious worker can either self-petition or be the beneficiary of a petition sponsored by the religious institution