‘We’ve hit so many roadblocks.' Ulster County parish frustrated with immigration delays in Nigerian priest ’s return
Parishioners say they’ve since paid for a new visa but that they’re told his case could take another two years for the Nigerian Embassy to conduct an exit interview.
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A Catholic parish in Orange County is desperately trying to get its beloved priest back after it says a problem with his immigration paperwork and delays have forced him out of the country.
Father Michael Omachi was the head priest of Our Lady of Fatima church in Ulster County for five years.
News 12 first reported on the Nigerian native’s plight in 2023 when parishioners were trying to help him stay in the U.S. after they say his work visa expired while his green card application was pending.
Parishioners say they’ve since paid for a new visa but that they’re told his case could take another two years for the Nigerian Embassy to conduct an exit interview.
“We’ve hit so many roadblocks and we just don’t understand. It’s not the same. Our father is home. Without him there, we are misssing a huge piece of our community,” says parishioner Nancy Pagan.
Fr. Michael was well known in the Ulster County community for his outreach and is credited with starting a popular Sunday school program for children in both Spanish and English.
“He learned Spanish to do Mass in that language to make people feel as they’re welcome,” Pagan says.
Rep. Pat Ryan’s office is working to assist in Omachi’s case and has reached out to the Nigerian consulate to help.
“We’re actively engaging with Father Omachi, the Archdiocese, and all associated parties. While we’ve been warned there are often multi-year delays with the consulate in Nigeria, we are doing everything in our power to make sure his application gets prompt consideration and advocate for his parishioners,” says a representative for Rep. Ryan.
News 12’s calls to the New York Archdiocese for comment have not been returned. A representative for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement previously said in reference to this case that they can’t comment on pending applications.
