LGBTQIA+ Immigration

Empowering you throughout the immigration process

Support for LGBTQIA+ Immigrants

You are not alone! We specialize in providing exceptional and holistic legal services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQIA+) clients in an inclusive and safe space.

Asylum seekers

If you’re fleeing violence and persecution in your home country based on sexuality, gender and/or HIV status, we can help request asylum, whether affirmatively or in court, and fiercely advocate for you to stay where you feel safe.

Family Petitions

We’ve helped many LGBTQIA+ clients petition their spouses and family members to obtain residency. We are seasoned experts in these cases, with the experience to anticipate and prepare for the special challenges they can present.

Permanent residency

You can apply to become a permanent resident after being granted asylum, a U visa or an approved I-360. We help you file the application and prepare for your immigration appointment, and stand with you throughout the process.

“I was not accepted in my home country because of who I was. I came to the U.S. with a lot of trauma and PTSD, and Chelsea made me see that it was okay to be me and that I deserve representation.”

- Former Client

FAQs

Who is this for?

We represent LGBTQIA+ clients in applications for asylum, fiance visas, applications for permanent residency based on marriage, sponsoring a loved one or in seeking a waiver. Our office specializes in representing LGBTQIA+ clients and brings more than 15 years of expertise to these cases. We also represent clients through the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) immigration program, mentor attorneys on LGBTQIA+ asylum claims through a number of legal organizations and regularly speak on LGBTQIA+ immigration issues.

What family members can I include in my asylum?

Asylees can petition for spouses and unmarried children who were under 21 at the time the asylum application was filed. To be considered an eligible spouse, you must be legally married before asylum is granted. Your family members can either be already in the United States or outside the United States. We can help you and your family.

Can I petition my same-sex or nonbinary partner for residency?

Yes, LGBTQIA+ couples have been able to obtain marriage-based immigration benefits since 2013. Sometimes non-heteronormative marriages and relationships don’t have the conventional evidence USCIS looks for, so it is helpful to have an experiencedLGBTQIA+ advocate to represent you. We have decades of experience in helping couples like you.

How can we help?

Let us be your trusted and fierce advocate!