Resources Immigration and asylum
If you are not in the US yet
How to stay safe outside the US, which international organizations help LGBTQ+ people in danger, and how to avoid scams. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US.
This is general information, not legal advice: QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.
This is general information, not legal advice. QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. We do not arrange relocation, buy tickets, find financial supporters, write support letters for people who are not in the US, or advise on crossing any border. A licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative can look at your situation.
QARAVAN is a community of LGBTQ+ immigrants, asylum seekers and allies in New York; many of us came from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. We are a small organization and can't always reply quickly.
Start here
- If you are in danger, you can apply to Rainbow Railroad on its website. In Russia the site is blocked and contact with LGBTQ+ organizations can lead to criminal charges: think about your safety first.
- QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. There is no “asylum visa”: pay no one for one or for “fast entry to the US”.
- Refugee admissions to the US have been suspended since January 2025, and the places for fiscal 2027 go mostly to Afrikaners from South Africa.
There is no asylum visa
You ask for asylum in the country where you already are; you cannot ask one country for protection while you are in another, says ORAM, an organization helping LGBTQ+ refugees. Refugee status is only for people outside their country of citizenship. So there is no US “asylum visa”: pay no one for one.
Refugee resettlement to the US is almost closed
Refugee admissions to the US have been suspended since January 2025 and have not resumed. On October 1, 2026 the administration set the ceiling for fiscal 2027 at 17,500 places, mostly for Afrikaners from South Africa, with no places for refugees from anywhere else (International Rescue Committee). According to Global Refuge, all but five refugees admitted in fiscal 2026 came from South Africa. Only people already recognized as refugees are resettled, and the government of the resettlement country decides (ORAM).
Temporary entry for humanitarian reasons (humanitarian parole)
Parole is temporary permission to enter the US without a visa, granted at the government's discretion. Nearly nine in ten requests are denied: according to the American Immigration Council, 88.7% were denied in October to December 2025, up from 52.9% a year earlier. If a request is approved, a $1,050 fee is due (from October 16, 2026). QARAVAN does not file these requests, find financial supporters or judge anyone's chances; talk your situation over with a lawyer or an accredited representative.
Where to apply for a visa
AILA, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, wrote on its blog on September 1, 2026 that under State Department guidance updated on July 15, 2026 you generally apply for a nonimmigrant visa (for a trip, study or work) in your country of citizenship or residence. The US Embassy in Moscow issues no regular visas: Russian citizens living in Russia apply for nonimmigrant visas in Warsaw or Astana and for immigrant visas mainly in Warsaw.
Visas: bans and bonds
Since January 1, 2026 a wider entry ban has been in force: nationals of 39 countries get no visas, or only some kinds. From Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus only Turkmenistan is on the list: its nationals get no immigrant visas, including spouses, children and parents of US citizens, because that exception was removed (American Immigration Council, December 19, 2025). A pause on immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, begun in January 2026, was struck down by a federal court in New York on August 21, 2026 (NPR), and the State Department said it is no longer in effect (AILA, August 28, 2026). For a tourist or business visa, a consular officer may ask nationals of Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for a refundable bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000; the program became permanent on August 3, 2026 (Civil.ge, 24.kg). Under its rules, applying for asylum (form I-589) breaks the bond's terms.
Crossing the US border illegally and “guides”
QARAVAN does not advise on how to enter the US and gives no contacts. A person stopped at the border without documents can be deported under expedited removal: no hearing before a judge, usually a single interview with an officer while detained, with little or no chance to talk to a lawyer (American Immigration Council). In June 2026 the US Supreme Court ruled that the government may stop asylum seekers from setting foot in the country at ports of entry (NPR, June 25, 2026). Pay no one who promises to get you across the border.
“We will get you to the US fast” and other promises for money
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) warns (February 2026) that scammers pose as lawyers and well-known nonprofits, mostly on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, promise fast approvals and “guaranteed results”, take $5,000 to $30,000 and disappear. Check both the person and the organization through independent sources, not a link they send you, and never pay with gift cards, cash apps or cryptocurrency. Rainbow Railroad does not issue or speed up visas.
If you are in Russia: the ban on the "International LGBT movement" and on what the authorities call "extremist" organizations
In 2023 Russia's Supreme Court banned the so-called “International LGBT Movement” as “extremist”. Rainbow Railroad reports that on October 30, 2025 Russian authorities blocked its website on that basis. QARAVAN rejects these labels: being LGBTQ+ is not extremism, and helping people is not a crime. On February 24, 2026 the St. Petersburg City Court declared the group Vykhod “extremist”, and on April 27, 2026, according to Radio Liberty, the same ruling was made about the Russian LGBT Network. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), activists of such organizations face up to ten years in prison, and people who keep in touch with them up to six. That is why we don't name groups in Russia you could write to. Before writing to any LGBTQ+ organization, think about who may see your phone.
If you are in Russia: what the authorities call "undesirable" organizations
Russian authorities call a foreign or international organization “undesirable” when prosecutors declare it a threat to security, defense or the constitutional order; according to HRW, its activities and materials are banned in Russia. Russian authorities have labeled, among others, HRW itself (from November 28, 2025), Radio Liberty (on the Russian Justice Ministry register since February 20, 2024) and ILGA World, the global federation of LGBTQ+ organizations (as it reported on January 23, 2026). QARAVAN rejects this label. According to HRW, “participation” in such an organization, in Russia or abroad, can bring up to six years in prison, and the authorities read “participation” broadly and arbitrarily; ILGA-Europe says people who contact ILGA World risk surveillance, arrest and prosecution. Don't forward, repost or like their materials, and before contacting any foreign organization, check it on the Russian Justice Ministry's register of “undesirable” organizations.
Access Now: Digital Security Helpline
Free
Free technical help around the clock in ten languages, Russian included; it says it answers within two hours. It helps protect accounts, devices and messages for people threatened over their work or activism: activists, journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders, researchers and organizations. Requests are vetted and may be declined (for example, for people under 18); help covers digital security only. Email help@accessnow.org.
Surveillance Self-Defense
A guide by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in several languages, Russian and Turkish included. Its “Your Security Plan” section helps you make a personal plan: what you protect, from whom, what failure would cost, how likely the threat is, how much effort you can give and who your allies are.
Emergency numbers
Police, ambulance and crisis numbers differ by country; find them on your government's official website.
Check who can see your phone
Think about who can access your phone, email and messengers, and make a simple safety plan with the EFF guide. In Russia, contact with organizations the authorities have labeled “extremist” or “undesirable” can lead to criminal charges.
If you are in danger now, decide whether to write to Rainbow Railroad
Apply at rainbowrailroad.org from an email only you can see. A reply takes two weeks or more; the organization does not issue or speed up visas. The site is blocked in Russia: weigh the risk first.
Find out why there is no “asylum visa”
You ask for asylum in the country where you already are, and US refugee admissions are suspended. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US; only a lawyer or accredited representative can say whether any lawful path fits you.
If you can leave, learn the rules of the country you are going to
You ask for protection on the territory of the country you are in; in the EU, usually the first country you entered. We cannot arrange travel, send money or buy tickets.
Gather your documents in advance
ORAM advises gathering, while you are still at home, your ID, passport, birth certificate, marriage and divorce papers and school records: later they are harder to get. Your travel document must be valid.
Do not pay for promises
Don't pay for an “asylum visa”, an invitation or “fast entry to the US”: according to AILA, scammers promise “guaranteed results”, take thousands of dollars and disappear.
Rainbow Railroad
A charity with offices in Toronto and New York that helps LGBTQ+ people in danger. It takes applications from people in countries where LGBTQ+ people are persecuted by law or the state tolerates violence against them; not for moving from Australia, Western Europe, Iceland, Canada, New Zealand or the US. Apply on the website from an email only you can see, then tell your story and attach documents; after review the organization looks with you for a way to make your life safer and, when it can, helps with emergency travel. It does not issue or speed up visas, a reply takes two weeks or more, and it cannot help everyone. You can include yourself, a partner and children under 18. You cannot apply for someone else unless they are held against their will or detained. In Russia the site is blocked, and contact with LGBTQ+ organizations can lead to criminal charges.
ORAM (Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration)
Helps LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in transit countries, including Kenya and Europe. The website has a country directory of vetted LGBTQ+-friendly organizations (“Seeking Help”); in Europe its programs include short-term housing. ORAM notes that fewer than 0.6% of the world's refugees are resettled to third countries. Email requests for help to help@oramrefugee.org.
Canada: private sponsorship of refugees
According to IRCC, Canada's immigration department, you can resettle in Canada as a refugee only with a referral from UNHCR, a designated organization or a private sponsor group; you cannot apply directly. Sexual orientation is named as an example of a social group a person may fear persecution for. People with another stable protection option don't qualify. Rainbow Railroad itself screens people for Canadian sponsorship; the line is long and candidates are chosen twice a year.
ILGA-Europe and ILGA World
ILGA-Europe brings together over 700 LGBTQ+ groups in 54 countries of Europe and Central Asia, and ILGA World over 2,000 organizations from more than 170 countries. They don't take individual cases and suggest member organizations in your country; check that the group you pick takes requests. Russian authorities have labeled ILGA World “undesirable”, and in Russia contact with it can lead to criminal charges.
Pink Armenia (Armenia)
An Armenian human rights organization. Its website lists legal, psychological and social support for LGBTQ+ people in Armenia; it does not promise help moving abroad. Email info@pinkarmenia.org.
Georgia
Georgia's new Law on International Protection took effect on October 1, 2025. According to UNHCR as of October 27, 2025, asylum seekers go to the Martkopi Reception Center. The law sets different tracks, shorter appeal deadlines and changes access to legal aid and protection from removal. UNHCR Georgia: geotbprt@unhcr.org. Rainbow Railroad says LGBTQ+ people from Russia who moved to Armenia, Georgia and Poland face new stigma there and no legal protection.
Serbia
You can state your intent to seek asylum to the police in Serbia. Police register it (taking data and fingerprints from people over 16) and give you a certificate in Serbian. Within 72 hours you must report to the assigned reception center, and file with the Asylum Office within three weeks of arriving there. IDEAS, a UNHCR partner, gives free legal help at airports: legalaid@ideje.rs, +381 69 5657254.
Türkiye (Turkey)
Since September 10, 2018 only the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) takes and decides international protection claims; you register in person at the Provincial Directorate (PDMM). UNHCR no longer registers applicants or decides cases. After registration you get an ID; you must live in the assigned city and report regularly (signature duty), or without good reason your claim may be treated as withdrawn. The interview is usually within 30 days of registration, and by law the decision within six months, though it can take longer. UNHCR considers resettlement only for the most vulnerable, already recognized as conditional refugees and meeting all duties. Rainbow Railroad says Türkiye remains unsafe for queer and trans people. Case information from PMM: YIMER 157, Russian included.
European Union (EU)
According to the European Commission, the Pact on Migration and Asylum applies from June 12, 2026. You usually apply in the first EU+ country you entered (exceptions for people with a valid visa or residence permit) and stay there until a decision or transfer; otherwise you may lose access to work and reception conditions. Most decisions are due within six months. ORAM warns that if you claim asylum in a country of your choice, you may be refused and returned to the country of first entry.
You cannot “sponsor” a person for asylum
A person asks for asylum themselves, in the country where they already are (ORAM). A lawyer or accredited representative can say whether your family has any lawful path.
A husband, wife or fiancé(e)
The marriage must be legal where it took place; a civil union or domestic partnership does not count. A US citizen or green card holder files form I-130 for a spouse, and a US consulate then issues the visa. Only a US citizen may bring a fiancé(e) on a K-1 visa; the couple must marry within 90 days of arrival, which can help couples who cannot marry at home (Immigration Equality, July 2024). Nationals of the 39 countries on the ban list, Turkmenistan among them, now get no immigrant visas, even as spouses of US citizens (American Immigration Council).
Relatives of a person granted asylum or refugee status: Form I-730
A person granted asylum or refugee status in the US may file form I-730 for a spouse and children within two years of the grant; there is no fee (Immigration Equality, July 2024). Processing can take a long time.
A support letter and a request to Rainbow Railroad
Rainbow Railroad takes applications only from the person themselves: ask them to fill in the form on the website. You can help fill it in if they can't read or don't know any of the form's languages. In Russia the site is blocked and contact can lead to criminal charges. You write and sign a support letter yourself, attach a copy of your ID, and say how you know the person and what you saw yourself. Give the letter to the person to pass on: Rainbow Railroad takes it directly only if they can't reach the organization or you lost contact with them during review. QARAVAN does not write support letters for people who are not in the US.
- Asylum
- Protection from persecution that the United States gives to a person who is already in the US.
- Refugee status
- Protection for a person who is outside their country of nationality and fears persecution.
- Referral
- A recommendation from UNHCR, a designated organization or a private sponsor group, without which a refugee cannot be resettled, for example to Canada; you cannot apply on your own.
- Parole
- Temporary permission to enter the US without a visa; it grants neither asylum nor refugee status.
- Expedited removal
- Deportation without a hearing, on an officer's decision, used for people stopped without proper documents.
- Nonimmigrant visa and immigrant visa
- A nonimmigrant visa allows a short-term trip, study or work; an immigrant visa is for people who want to live in the US permanently.
- K-1 visa
- The visa of a fiancé(e) of a US citizen.
- Green card
- Permanent residence in the United States.
- Asylee
- A person to whom the United States has already granted asylum.
- Afrikaners
- White residents of South Africa; the US administration gives them almost all refugee places.
- Visa bond
- A deposit of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 that a consular officer may require from a national of certain countries who is receiving a B-1/B-2 visa.
- "Extremist" organization (Russia)
- What the Russian authorities call an "extremist" organization: one whose activity a court in Russia has banned as "extremist"; under Russian law, taking part in it or continuing relations with it carries criminal liability.
- "Undesirable" organization (Russia)
- What the Russian authorities call an "undesirable" organization: a foreign or international organization that Russia's prosecutor's office has declared a threat to the security, defense or constitutional order of the country; its activities and materials are banned in Russia.
- Transit country
- A country a person passes through or stays in temporarily on the way to another country.
- YIMER 157
- The phone number that UNHCR names for information about an international protection case with the Presidency of Migration Management of Türkiye.
- IDEAS
- A UNHCR partner organization in Serbia that gives free legal aid to people who apply for asylum.
- European Union (EU)
- An association of European states with common asylum rules; asylum is requested on the territory of a country, not at an embassy.
- UNHCR
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN agency that protects refugees.
All pages: Immigration and asylum
Sources, checked November 2026
- rainbowrailroad.org/request-help
- oramrefugee.org/seek-help
- oramrefugee.org/asylum-information
- accessnow.org/help
- ilga-europe.org/about-us/contacts
- pinkarmenia.org/en/about-us/services
- help.unhcr.org/turkiye/information-for-non-syrians/national-as…
- help.unhcr.org/georgia/applying-for-asylum
- help.unhcr.org/serbia/applying-for-asylum-in-serbia-2
- canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugee…
- home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/asylum…
- ssd.eff.org/module/your-security-plan
- rescue.org/article/who-decides-how-many-refugees-come-us
- americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/uscis-immigration-processi…
- aila.org/blog/think-immigration-when-visa-processing-moves-abr…
- americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/president-trump-expands-hi…
- americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/expedited-removal
- aila.org/library/client-flyer-protect-yourself-from-immigratio…
- immigrationequality.org/legal/legal-help/couples-and-families/…
- immigrationequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Marriage-Ba…