Gavlin & Associates, P.C., New York is one among the leading immigration lawyer firms providing specialized legal guidance and assistance in LGBT related issues.
Some of the issues in LGBT immigration laws and the reforms needed are:

• Presence of bias against LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex) community among personnel in the adjudicating organs of immigration system. Reforms needed are – clearer laws and acts which make it impossible to act against LGBT based on personal bias, faster court procedures so that legally eligible LGBT cases don’t get lagged for long duration causing hardships, etc.;

• One-year filing deadline has had negative impact on LGBT asylum applicants. Lack of time has often caused the threat of deportation in otherwise viable asylum claims by LGBT asylum applicants. This needs to be reformed by including Refugee Protection Act in immigration reform legislation;

• Lack of medical and psychological care for people of LGBT community who are under detention on immigration law violations. Solution is to provide LGBT immigrants access to treatment for HIV/AIDS and other health conditions;

• LGBT people still meets the bias and perplexity of choosing gender in various government forms and they face huge delays in getting their name and gender changed etc. These issues need to be addressed;

• Need for increase in number of visas available for families of LGBT people. Include the Reuniting Families Act in immigration reforms and clearance of obstacles in proving family member status for LGBT.

We at Gavlin & Associates, P.C., NY have successfully defended and assisted hundreds of LGBT immigration cases and are presently defending numerous such cases.