Thank you very much. I have heard that some people just can not be accepted into they Pro Bono System asylum program because they cases are not as straight forward 'easy' as they wish they were. Others expressed concerns that they do not look like those asylum seekers on the front page of the website. I also saw on the website that they advise to the asylum office, by using deductive method what I'm implying here? I wonder whether or not it means that they give advise against your case if they do not like you, then it is not good. Who know it for certain, please share the information with other gay people here. You probably can get help if you can sex reassignment surgery, you also more likely than not will get help if you marry someone of your own gender or if you can find a good stylist who will decorate your look, for female its easy but need to cut your hair short, for man it would be helpful to have few earrings and color the hairs)long hairs - if you can do any of those, sometimes simple things it can save you from lots of troubles and prejudices down the road. I am striving to learn more and really do my best to come to the right conclusion. Any more thoughts, only practical advice please?
Because I like the idea and my knowledge is limited I will start with 5 stars.
When Your Baby Won’t Stop Crying !!!
Yes, they advertise themselves and it all looks a bit theatrical and maybe they help to some and screw others. But they are changing the game and achieved few goals.
Few points below you may find helpful:
first of all Immigration Equality is working with FBI and if they want to fail you they will fail you. Should you be scared - never, should you fight for your rights - always.
Second, do a bit of a research on those who work for them and who is the former commander in chief and where she works now and what is her agenda - it i crucial.
Furtermore, Apply at the border - those who are illegally trying to cross the border have a priority over those who come in the country through visa procedures;- This is new, and if you want to be at the top of the line just apply at the border would be my suggestion.
Immigration Equality's heart is in the right place, but they could do a lot more with the resources they have. They doggedly pursue a limited number of avenues to fulfill their goals, even when it's clear to most that it's a dead end, while not exploring other options. For example, one of their goals is allowing same-sex binational couples the same immigration rights in the US that opposite-sex binational couples enjoy. The organization focused on including same-sex binational couples in a comprehensive immigration reform bill, while giving little attention or blatantly ignoring other options like visas or standalone bills.
while IE does a lot of amazing work; they do reject clients some of whom cannot get past reception if they do not fit certain criteria. I am a vocal critic of Immigration equality's strategy. Instead of being open to hearing they have shut me out of their Blogs and website to ensure that their strategy is not questioned by the public at large.
Review from Guidestar
Immigration Equality is a phenomenal org. They did and are doing great work for the LGBT community, specifically for the LGBT folks who have foreign-born partners. The immigration right is an integral part of the rights that are granted to married people. While the straight people take it for granted, the LGBT Americans have to fight teeth and nails to get the equal treatment under the law so that our families are not torn apart. We know this is gross inequality. Thankfully, with organization like IE, we see hopes ahead of us. IE, bravo!! Keep up the good work!
Immigration Equality is an excellent organization. Immigration for the GLBT community is such a difficult and tricky area and there are many couples and individuals facing impossible choices. The information provided via their website and that which you obtain in calling them is up to date and relevant. They also have extensive information on how you can get involved in immigration issues for the GLBT community. We will not get important legislation passed e.g. UAFA, unless we all take action to raise the profile of these issues. The Blog is very good, in partiucarl the community of responese as issues are raised. They also compile stories in particular on Bi-national couples, and that has been important to me as I am in a relationship with a non-US citizen for 10 years and our legal status is non-existence.
Excellent organization that has been doing a phenomenal job with limited resources. The director, policy team and other staff are all fantastic and have dramatically raised the profile of immigration discrimination against gay couples in recent months.
Immigration equality has been a great information source for gay couples in bi-national relationships. They have fought for passage of the Uniting American Families Act which would allow same sex bi-national couples to sponsor their partners for immigration. Bi-national couples are a small minority within the gay community and immigration equality has given us a voice in Washington. As an American living exiled in a foreign country for the last 3 years, Immigration Equality has given us hope that one day my partner of 14 years and I can return to the place we called home, Los Angeles. Immigration Equality has also led the fight to repeal the travel ban for HIV positive people and actually got the Bush administration to lift the ban. As of today the ban still has not been lifted even though the legislation was signed into law by President Bush. Immigration Equality has continued to push the Obama Administration to completely lift this ban.
Immigration Equality is a small, hard working organization that fights for some of the most important rights the LGBT and HIV+ community is deprived off. It's been very successful in its battle against the absurd discrimination against HIV positive immigrants and visitors by pushing the lifting of the HIV ban. It's helped many immigrants who fled their home countries where their life was in danger because their sexual identity. And the staff of this organization works very hard to give gay Americans the basic right to live with their foreign partner in the US and not being forced to choose between their family and the country they love.
Immigration Equality has taken on a huge task of representing and fighting for LGBT community working to change the immigration laws. The discrimination LGBT community is facing from INS is not covered in the media and talked about as much as other gay issues that have become part of the political and social landscape, but affects too many in the community, and almost everybody was touched by it directly or indirectly. This issue separates gay couples and families sending foreign partner out of the country and causes a lot of stress and pain in the process. Immigration Equality is our very competent voice and is making a huge difference in changing the laws and keeping gay binational couples together.
Great organization. Working hard to give us all hope that soon we will be all counted as equal by immigration laws.
This site has been an invaluable resource to those of us in a bi-national relationship, having to live in another country. It keeps up up to date with what is happening with LGBT issues in America, how the UAFA is progressing, and it fights equally for all - not just people like me and my wife, living in a country we don't want to. I've been donating for a while now and will continue to do so, because the support they offer is indiscriminate and priceless. ImmigrationEquality deserves your vote!!
I try to check their blog as much as I can and support their fight to make our country a place where every American share the same rights. Keep up the great work!
this is a great organization with a goal of uniting bi national couples like myself and also helping individuals with hiv being able to visit and stay in USA
Immigration Equality has been the best source of immigration information for the LGBT community that I have found online. Right now I am going through an asylum process, and thanks to this organization, I can be sure that all the steps that I am taking are the right ones. The information provided by immigration equality brings peace and hope to my life everyday.
An amazing organization that provides accurate and up-to-date information about the world of immigration for the LGBT community. As a foriegn national in a 5 year relationship with U.S citizen I am always checking for updates on their website,with the hope that one day I will see what immigration equality has been fighting for...equal immigration rights for the LGBT community.
Hard working, awesome organization. Hopefully their hard work will soon come to fruition. Keep up the strong work!! Our future depends on it.
Without Immigration Equality, my partner and I would have probably lost hope a long time ago. But instead, the hard work that Immigration Equality does to change US immigration laws the fundamentally discriminate against LGBT individuals has given hope to tens of thousands of people like myself that are forced to live outside the US. Aiming to change immigration laws is a daunting task that Immigration Equality has stayed dedicated to and has the possibility of helping us realize. And now with a record number of congressional sponsors behind the UAFA, we are one step closer to making history - legislative history that will end decades of discrimination in the US. I am thankful for everything that Immigration Equality does and am hopeful that one day we will all receive the benefits granted to our heterosexual counterparts.
I will put it in a few words. Immigration Equality has given me and my partner HOPE! Hope that we can be together. They have been doing a wonderful job helping with the UAFA cause for many years, and now they are getting closer and closer of making it happen!
Immigration Equality has been so great. For the past year and a half my Brazilian partner and I have only been able to see each other when I can find the time to go visit him. He cannot come here, know my home or my family. IE has been personally supportive and works tirelessly to overcome the injustice and cruel disregard for LGBT bi-national couples. They also were instrumental in helping get the HIV travel ban repealed and continue to work to have the repeal implemented.
This is a wonderful organization. The web-site is full of valuable information and links for those who are in the painful situation thrust upon United States citizens that happen to fall in love with a same-gender person in another country. It has not only valuable information, but a way to connect with others in this difficult situation. The organization has a personal approach and have personally reached out and helped those in need. They are also working very hard on our behalf, and give us something that is so needed, HOPE.
Immigration Equality's work for the 36,000+ binational LGBT couples who are needlessly torn apart by unfair immigration laws is invaluable. It's in no small part to their tireless efforts that the UAFA bill by Jerrold Nadler and Patrick Leahy received its first ever hearing in the Senate a few weeks ago. They also managed to secure coverage of our plight by People Magazine and an excellent editorial by the Washington Post earlier this year. Their website and blog give binational couples a great opportunity to liaise with each other and coordinate group efforts from our end to get this legislation passed.
Immigration Equality is the driving force behind the Uniting American Families Act (ACT). They gave me legal advice on how to cope with the current discrimination my partner and I face, as a binational couple, from the US Government. As well, the blog at Immigration Equality provides up to date information on the status of the UAFA which is a great comfort to me and my partner. This only strengthens our resolve to actively push for gay immigration rights. Immigration Equality was also behind the passing of the HIV travel and immigration ban. Though not yet implemented, the discriminatory Jesse Helms law will soon be part of history.
Immigration Equality gives me hope that someday my Candian husband and I will be allowed to live in the States. We both went to school in Washington and this is where our friends and our lives are. Before we found out about Immigration Equality we thought we would have to move everything we have to Canada in order to be together, but as Immigration Equality works on things such as the Uniting American Families Act we are given hope that we may get to stay in the States as a binational gay family.
Immigration Equality is doing such a good job for same-sex binational couples. Currently there are 36,000 couples who are denied civil rights that heterosexual couples are afforded. Keep up the good work.
Immigration Equality has done a great job of advocating for those of us in binational same-sex relationships who are in desperate situations. Their work has contributed to legislation being introduced that would end the discrimination against same-sex couples in the immigration system so that we could have the same options straight couples have. You can't imagine the despair, sadness, and anger that comes from being told to either end your marriage or leave your country until you are in this situation. They do a great job supporting us.
They are great, I received counseling from their lawyer, I contacted Immigration Equality because I had some doubts about my near future as I am a citizen of Argentina and since I am in a lesbian relationship I can not apply for any kind of visa to be with the person I love. They where really helpful and nice to me, what they are doing is a really important job, they are keeping families together.
Immigration equality is really doing an amazing job of pushing a very important issue. It's especially important to me as I am a legal immigrant in a binational relationship about to start a family in the US.With their help we are closer to getting a law passed that would enale my partner to sponsor me from a green card so we will not be forced to leave our family here and go to the UK (where, granted, we would actually be treated as equals but still...). They are great at informing us of what is going on and getting everyone together to get something done. I am extremely grateful of their efforts and hopeful that we will eventually get this legislation passed.