Permit me to skip the usual scriptural analysis I offer in my column for this weekend. I have good news to share with you and thanks to Fr. Bill for prompting this personal reflection.
As I reflect on my time here since my assignment in February 2024, my heart overflows with gratitude. From the moment I arrived in St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Sun City, you have embraced me with open arms, kindness, and unyielding support.
Many of you became aware of the complexities surrounding my immigration situation. You did what this community does best - you turned to prayer. You prayed fervently, consistently, and with deep faith for a positive outcome and resolution.
I am delighted to share in writing the wonderful news that our prayers have been answered. Two Saturdays ago, August 8, while I was away in Denhenstran, New Orleans, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved my H1B petition. What this means is that my work authorization is completely secure and valid until May 2029.
I want to extend my profound gratitude to Bishop John Dolan and the leadership of our diocese. They proactively filed this petition on my behalf and graciously bore the entire financial cost of the process. With this major hurdle behind us, I look forward with great hope to the future, when the path will open for me to obtain my permanent residency (green card) so I can continue to stay and serve in this country.
To help you understand how this process works for foreign-born clergy, I want to offer an insight on the matter. Typically, priests who come to the United States to serve as missionaries or Fidei Donum priests enter on an R1 Religious Worker Visa. This visa is valid for a maximum of five years and is strictly non-renewable. The standard expectation is that before those five years expire, a priest will transition to a permanent green card, which allows him a further 10-year stay without having to face the hassle of exiting the country to have a visa before returning again. Typically, with a green card, one can request citizenship after five years.
However, for the past seven years, a severe backlog has crippled the green card application system. In fact, the diocese applied for my green card three years ago, and we have still received no updates on that application. This heavy backlog occurred because the government changed its categorization, grouping children of certain visa holders into the same visa cap category as religious workers, which flooded the system and made it impossible to speedily process residency applications by eligible applicants.
Faced with the expiration of my R1 Visa and the looming loss of my work permit, our diocese took proactive measures. They made the strategic decision to switch my status to an H1B Visa. The H1B is a temporary worker visa utilized for specialty occupations that require highly specialized knowledge, which includes the specialized theological and pastoral work of a priest.
We submitted the application back in March, but it sat awaiting review for months. It finally received attention and approval in this blessed month of August. I cannot help but smile and believe that Our Blessed Mother Mary had a thing or two to do with that timeline, especially as we celebrate her Assumption this month on August 15.
I will admit that waiting for this decision kept me on pins and needles. Yet, despite the personal anxiety it caused, I want to emphasize that I absolutely agree with and support the rigorous vetting process of this country. I come from Nigeria, a nation where borders are unfortunately porous and where Islamic terrorists have found easy access, subsequently inflicting devastating damage on our local communities. Experiencing that reality firsthand makes it very easy for me to understand why the United States government must take every possible measure to fortify its borders and defend its citizens.
Though the process took a very long time to come to fruition, I am deeply grateful that I can legally stay and serve my parish community here at St. Elizabeth Seton. I truly love it here, and I am filled with joy knowing that my place among you is secure. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your prayerful support.
God is good, all the time!
Fr. Williams Abba
“The only thing that counts is faith working through love” – Galatians 5:6
