The A Company

Apply for a U.S. visa for religious workers (R-1) in Kosovo

Your religious organization files the I-129 petition, fill in the DS-160 application, pay the U.S. visa fee $205, book the visa appointment, prepare the documents, attend the interview, the consular officer decides on your visa, pay DHL €10, get your passport, travel.

You live in Kosovo. Your passport is from Kosovo. Going to the U.S. Visa type Religious worker (R1).

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  • “A very positive experience! Professional, reliable, and supportive throughout the entire process. Thanks to them, applying for a U.S. visa was much easier. The result? Visa approved! 🇺🇸✨ Highly recommended!”
    Vlera Kryeziu
  • “I've had a wonderful experience with The A Company. Everything was handled smoothly and fast. Their advices helped us a lot! Very professional! Totally recommend!”
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  • “Excellent service and great communication. The team was very helpful and explained everything clearly. Highly recommended! Thanks Nderim!”
    Albana Muliqi
  • “Perfect”
    Sadat Krasniqi
  • “BIG shoutout to Nderim for all the help with my visa application. I had a ton of questions and he was always super open and ready to help out with whatever I needed. He really made the whole process feel easy.”
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What it costs

U.S. visa for religious workers (R-1)
Fee for the U.S. visa for religious workers (R-1)Paid to the U.S. Department of State, before the interview. Not refunded.2$2051
DHL's serviceThe passport with the visa delivered home. Only if the visa is approved.3€101
The A Company's serviceThe A Company prepares the I-129 petition for your religious organization, fills in the DS-160 application, pays the U.S. visa fee, books the visa appointment, prepares the documents for the interview, and pays DHL for passport delivery. Paid to The A Company, half at the start, half before the interview.22€2,5001

Total€2,693

At the European Central Bank rate of October 14, 2026: €1 = $1.1195

Step 1: Your religious organization files the I-129 petition

Before you apply for the visa, your prospective U.S. employer files Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and USCIS approves it.4

Visit page

Required

  • Form I-129, the petition for a nonimmigrant worker

    Form I-129The petition for your work visa. It is filed at the USCIS location set for your visa type.5

  • An IRS letter determining that the religious organization is tax exempt

    IRS tax-exemption determination letterA determination letter, from the IRS. It must be currently valid. It shows that the organization is tax exempt.5

  • A letter from the denomination confirming membership

    Evidence of denominational membershipEvidence that the religious worker is a member of a religious denomination. The denomination must have a bona fide non profit religious organization in the U.S., and the membership must last at least two years.5

  • The religious organization's letter on how it will pay the worker

    Evidence of compensationVerifiable evidence. It shows how the employer intends to compensate the religious worker.6

Step 2: Fill in the DS-160 application

The online visa application, at ceac.state.gov. Print its confirmation page and bring it to the interview.4

Visit page
The DS-160 confirmation page for the R-1 visa

Step 3: Pay the U.S. visa fee ($205)

The visa application fee. It is paid from your profile in the online appointment system. By card online, in euros or in dollars, or in cash at VFS in Pristina, Lidhja e Prizrenit St., No. 20, Tophane, with the deposit slip printed from your profile and an ID. This comes before the appointment, because you can book the interview only once it is paid. Then the payment is activated within one business day and can be used to book an appointment for one year. The fee is not returned if the visa is refused. Keep the receipt number, because it cannot be replaced if lost and you need it for the appointment.2,7,8

Visit page
The visa fee receipt for the R-1 visa

Step 4: Book the visa appointment

Book the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina online, on the official appointment site, after you pay the fee.9,8

Visit page
An appointment confirmation

Step 5: Prepare the documents for the interview

Your passport, the DS-160 confirmation and the fee receipt. And the receipt number of your approved I-129 petition.4

Required

  • An open passport

    PassportValid for travel to the United States.4

  • The DS-160 confirmation page for the R-1 visa

    DS-160 confirmationThe confirmation page of your DS-160, printed.4

  • The I-797 approval notice of the petition for the R-1 visa

    The approved petition (I-797)The receipt number of your approved I-129 petition.4

  • A printed visa photo

    PhotoAs the U.S. visa photo rules ask.4

  • A sample visa appointment confirmation

    Visa appointment confirmationYour interview appointment confirmation letter. It shows that you booked your appointment through the official appointment service.10

  • A bank letter showing where the sponsor's account is, whose it is and what it holds

    Proof of the sponsor's assetsProof that the sponsor owns each asset listed. A photocopy. It must show the location, ownership and value of each asset, with its liens and liabilities.11

  • A religious organization's statement of its assets and methods of operation

    Evidence of the religious organization's assetsProof that you own the assets. A photocopy.11

Step 6: Attend the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina

A consular officer interviews you and decides whether you qualify for the visa.4

U.S. Embassy Pristina

Address
Arberia/Dragodan, Rr. 4 KORRIKU Nr.25, Pristina, Kosovo12
Phone
+383 38 59 59 300012
Email
PristinaVISAS@state.gov12
Website
xk.usembassy.gov12

Step 7: The consular officer decides on your visa

If the visa is approved, you may pay a visa issuance fee, if one applies to your nationality. You are told how your passport with the visa will be returned to you.13

CEAC's Visa Status Check: the visa issued

Step 8: Pay DHL for passport delivery (€10)

DHL takes your contact information to return your passport. You are directed to the nearest DHL office. In cash or by credit card, paid directly to DHL. Once you complete your consular service at the Embassy. The office works 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday. It costs €10.3,14

DHL Kosovo

Address
Street Ahmet Krasniqi 254, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo14
Opening hours
Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00, Saturday 09:00 to 13:0014
Phone
+383 44 245 54514
Email (general shipping)
dhl@3plog.net14

Step 9: Get your passport with the U.S. visa

If your visa is approved, the passport comes back through the courier service. You get an email or a text message once the passport is ready.15

Step 10: Travel to the United States

Do not buy airline tickets until you have received your visa. If you are allowed to enter, the CBP official gives you an admission stamp or a paper Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record.5

The Turkish Airlines e-ticket itinerary: Pristina, Istanbul, San Francisco and back

Ask us about this visa

Questions? Answers.

What is the U.S. religious worker visa (R-1)?

A visa to work temporarily in the United States in a religious capacity: as a minister, or in a religious vocation or occupation, for a nonprofit religious organization.4

Who can get an R-1 visa?

You must have been a member of the same denomination as the U.S. organization for at least 2 years before it files the petition. You must come to work as a minister or in a religious vocation or occupation, for a nonprofit religious organization, at least part time: an average of at least 20 hours a week.4

Do I need a petition for an R-1 visa?

Yes, always. Your U.S. employer files Form I-129 and USCIS must approve it before you apply. You book the interview with the receipt number on the approved petition or on the Notice of Action, Form I-797. An approved petition does not guarantee the visa: do not buy tickets until you have it.4

Can I go to a religious conference on a visitor visa?

Yes. A visitor (B) visa covers religious conventions and conferences. It also generally covers ministers paid by their own religious group abroad, on a religious tour, a temporary pulpit exchange, or missionary or voluntary service. If a U.S. nonprofit religious organization pays your salary, you need an R visa or another work visa.4

Can my spouse and children come with me on an R-1 visa?

Yes, on R-2 visas: your spouse and unmarried children under 21. They may study but not work. You must show you can support them financially.4

How much does the U.S. religious worker visa (R-1) cost in Kosovo?

$205 to the U.S. Department of State, and €10 to DHL to bring your passport home.2,3

How do I pay the visa fee in Kosovo?

Online or at VFS. Online with a debit or credit card, or in cash at the VFS Visa Application Center in Pristina, Lidhja e Prizrenit St., No. 20, Tophane.7,8

How much is the R-1 visa fee?

$205 per applicant. It is the fee for petition-based visas.2

Is the fee refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The visa application fee is non-refundable.2

Can I apply in Skopje or Tirana instead?

Generally no. Apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country of your nationality or where you live, and be able to show you live there if that is why you apply there. Elsewhere it may be more difficult to qualify, and the fee is not refunded or transferred.16

How do I check the status of my U.S. visa application?

On the State Department’s Visa Status Check, at ceac.state.gov. Choose your visa type, then enter your passport number and the first five letters of your surname.17

Can anyone guarantee a U.S. visa?

No. Any claim that someone can guarantee a visa is fraudulent. A consular officer decides at the interview whether you qualify.18

My visa was refused. When can I apply again?

You may reapply. After a refusal under section 214(b), you submit a new application, pay the fee again, and must be able to show significant changes in your circumstances since your last application.19

How long can I stay in the United States?

The border officer decides when you enter. The admitted-until date on your I-94 or admission stamp shows how long you may stay. Not the visa’s expiration date.20

Still have a question?

Official sources

Every fact on this page comes from an official page. Last checked on . Rules change.

  1. 1The A Company on Googlegoogle.com, last read October 28, 2026
  2. 2Fees for Visa Servicestravel.state.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  3. 3Passport/Visa collection locations and timings, Kosovoustraveldocs.com, last read October 12, 2026
  4. 4Temporary Religious Worker Visatravel.state.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  5. 5R-1 Nonimmigrant Religious Workerswww.uscis.gov, last read October 28, 2026
  6. 6Form M-736, Optional Checklist for Form I-129 R-1 Filingswww.uscis.gov, last read October 31, 2026
  7. 7Bank and payment options, Kosovoustraveldocs.com, last read October 22, 2026
  8. 8Payment locations, Kosovoustraveldocs.com, last read October 12, 2026
  9. 9Schedule your appointment, Kosovoustraveldocs.com, last read October 22, 2026
  10. 10Apply for an expedited appointment, Kosovoustraveldocs.com, last read October 22, 2026
  11. 11USTravelDocswww.ustraveldocs.com, last read October 15, 2026
  12. 12U.S. Embassy in Kosovo: Visasxk.usembassy.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  13. 13Temporary Religious Worker Visatravel.state.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  14. 14DHL Express Kosovo: Help and Supportmydhl.express.dhl, last read October 14, 2026
  15. 15USTravelDocswww.ustraveldocs.com, last read October 12, 2026
  16. 16Adjudicating Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants in their Country of Residencetravel.state.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  17. 17Visa Status Checkceac.state.gov, last read October 15, 2026
  18. 18U.S. Embassy in Kosovo: Nonimmigrant Visa FAQxk.usembassy.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  19. 19Visa Denialstravel.state.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  20. 20What the Visa Expiration Date Meanstravel.state.gov, last read October 11, 2026
  21. 21The A Company: our numberstheacompany.ai, last read October 17, 2026
  22. 22The A Company: the r-1 servicetheacompany.ai, last read November 2, 2026