A Brazilian pastor who was compelled to leave the United States last year due to an expired visa has recently returned to his Texas church thanks to an immigration rule change.
Albert Oliveira, who first came to the United States in 2011 on an F-1 student visa and willingly left the country on his own volition last October, returned to his role as pastor of First Baptist Church in Gordon (FBC Gordon) in April.
In an interview with Baptist Press published Tuesday, Oliveira said that while he is thankful to be back, he believes the immigration system needs to be reformed.
“What we do want to see is a smooth and fair immigration system that is safe for the nation,” he said, “but allows for [churches] to find people that are passionate about ministry without having to spend years dividing their time and thought and effort with immigration or bureaucracy.”
“And in terms of religious liberty, I believe that churches should be able to have the option to have a pastor from a different country if that’s what they believe that they need.”
A native of Brazil and graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Oliveira is married to a woman from Germany, and the couple has a 4-year-old son who was born in the United States.
Oliveira became pastor of FBC Gordon in 2020, staying in the United States with an R-1 visa, which is a temporary permit for foreigners who are serving as religious workers.
By 2025, Oliveira’s visa was set to expire that November. Although the pastor had applied for an EB-4 visa, which is a pathway to a green card, a surge in applications prolonged the process.
“If the law, as it currently stands, does not offer justice to those that have done what it requires, it’s for the conscience of those in power to do what is right,” Oliveira told The Christian Post in an interview last October.
“My family and I have decided that while God is in control and His will is perfect and will continue to be fulfilled through our lives, we trust that He will use our lives to touch the hearts of those in power to make a difference in this matter.”
According to Oliveira, after self-deporting, his family planned to move to Brazil for about six months, then live in Germany. At the time, R-1 visa holders were required to live at least one year outside of the United States before receiving another five-year visa.
In January, however, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed the one-year requirement but kept the rule requiring R-1 visa holders to leave the country temporarily.
“We are taking the necessary steps to ensure religious organizations can continue delivering the services that Americans depend on,” stated a DHS spokesperson.
“Pastors, priests, nuns, and rabbis are essential to the social and moral fabric of this country. We remain committed to finding ways to support and empower these organizations in their critical work.”
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