Bill Allowing LGBTs to Sponsor Foreign-Born Partners for Legal Residency Introduced in Congress
The Uniting American Families Act, introduced in the Senate by Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and in the House by Jerrold Nadler (D-NY),, would allow gay and lesbian Americans and permanent residents to sponsor their foreign-born partners for legal residency in the United States. The bill, introduced in February, would add "permanent partner" and "permanent partnership" after the words "spouse" and "marriage" in relevant sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
According to the most recent census, approximately 35,000 binational, same-sex couples currently live in the U.S. If passed, the Uniting American Families Act would include gay and lesbian relationships among those family connections valued under immigration law. Sixteen countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, South Africa and the United Kingdom, allow residents to sponsor same-sex permanent partners for legal immigration.
As an editorial in the Washington Post declares, "American gays and lesbians should not have to choose between their country and their partners."
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