A Texas pastor and his family voluntarily left the United States following his final Sunday service at the First Baptist Church of Gordon, citing delays in the immigration process, according to CBS Texas.

Albert Oliveira, along with his wife and three-year-old son, boarded a flight to Brazil about a week after the service, the outlet reported.

Newsweek has contacted the First Baptist Church of Gordon and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.

Why It Matters

Oliveira and his family have lived in the United States for the past five years on an R-1 visa, a temporary visa for religious workers. He has applied for an EB-4 visa, a pathway to permanent residency, but a visa backlog could prevent the change of status before his R-1 visa expires, CBS Texas reported. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dealing with a backlog of immigration cases, reaching a record 11.3 million pending applications.

Realizing his family would not receive an EB-4 visa before his R-1 visa expires, Oliveira chose to voluntarily leave the country to avoid undocumented status.

What To Know

 At his final service, more than 200 congregants gathered to bid farewell. Parishioners described the service as emotional, expressing support and sadness as the family announced their departure, according to CBS Texas.

Oliveira told the outlet that the family had tried for years to find a legal way to remain but ultimately concluded they must leave to avoid falling out of status.

“It feels like defeat, honestly,” Oliveira told CBS Texas. “We’ve been fighting over this course for two years, and now we’re going home.”

Originally from Brazil, Albert Oliveira first came to the United States on a student visa in 2011. He later married Caroline Schuster Oliveira, a German national, and moved to Gordon, Texas, about seven years ago to serve as a youth minister at the First Baptist Church of Gordon. Three years ago, he became the church’s lead pastor.

A bipartisan bill, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, has been introduced by Senators Tim Kaine, Susan Collins and Jim Risch to allow religious workers with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while awaiting resolution, but it remains in committee.

What People Are Saying

Albert Oliveira told CBS News Texas: “It’s a lot of emotions. A lot of different feelings, honestly. I feel loved, but I also feel disappointed at the people in power.”

GOP Congressman Roger Williams, who represents Gordon, Texas, said in a statement to CBS Texas: “Our office is aware of Rev. Albert Fernandes-Oliveira’s R-1 visa expiration and his efforts to adjust his status to an EB-4 visa. Our office began work on his case in April 2024 and has since requested an expedited review from the State Department. However, due to high demand and limited visa availability, the request was declined. Recent policy changes expanding EB-4 eligibility and subsequent legal corrections have further delayed processing. Unfortunately, we do not anticipate changes before his current visa expires, and any adjustment of status would fall under USCIS authority.”

Wayne Wroblski, a worship leader at the church, told CBS Texas: “It don’t seem fair. He’s dotted all the Is, crossed all the Ts, made all the filings on time since he has been here.” 

Caroline Schuster Oliveira told CBS Texas: “I’m just really overwhelmed by the love that this church and community has shown for us.”  

What Happens Next

Oliveira said his family hopes to apply for a new R-1 visa in a year’s time so he can return to the congregation, and he plans to continue preaching remotely in the interim.