If you are seeking asylum as an LGBTQ+ person
How asylum works for LGBTQ+ people, where to go, how to gather evidence, and what to do if you or someone close is detained or you are still abroad.
These are organizations that work specifically with or welcome LGBTQ+ people. The general list of free lawyers, how to file, fees and the interview are in the "Immigration and asylum" guide.
QARAVAN does not provide legal services. We refer you to organizations and write support letters for community members' cases. Rules and deadlines change: talk to a lawyer before you decide anything.
Understand the basis of your claim
Asylum is protection in the US for people who were persecuted at home or have a well-founded fear of persecution. According to Immigration Equality (free help for LGBTQ+ people with immigration cases), persecution over sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV can be grounds. You must show you were harmed at home or have a well-founded fear of harm, and the state can't or won't protect you.
Asylum is filed only from inside the U.S.
You can only apply for asylum while physically in the US. There is no visa for applying for asylum from another country.
Do not miss the one-year deadline
As a rule, you must apply within one year of arrival. There are narrow exceptions: for example, you came out about your orientation or gender identity more than a year after arrival, were recently diagnosed with HIV, or recently began transitioning in the US. Immigration Equality last updated this list in 2020, so don't rely on it; discuss your arrival date with a lawyer right away.
Find a lawyer or an organization that can help
Each organization has its own terms; ask about cost right away. Many are overloaded, so contact several at once.
Prepare the application and evidence
You apply on Form I-589, usually with your written account, supporting documents and materials on conditions in your country.
Prepare for the interview
What to bring to the interview, how the interpreter works, how to reschedule and what decisions are possible: see the "Immigration and asylum" guide.
Don't go to your country's consulate
While your asylum case is pending, QARAVAN advises not going to the consulate or contacting the authorities of the country you are seeking protection from: it can hurt your case and your safety. If you need a document from home, ask a lawyer first how to get it.
Who helps LGBTQ+ people with immigration matters
| For whom | What they do | How to reach them | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration Equality | LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV persecuted at home | Free information and legal services; representation is not guaranteed | An online form in English (linked in Russian) |
| The Ark at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) | Asylum seekers in New York, mostly LGBTQ+ and people with HIV, but not only | Help preparing your own papers (pro se), without court representation | WhatsApp (917) 330-0310 or sanctuary@cbst.org |
| Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) | Low-income transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex people | Immigrant Justice Project: representation for immigration status applications, documents with the right gender | Short email without details to legal@srlp.org |
| The LGBTQ+ Center | LGBTQ+ immigrants of all backgrounds | Not legal representation: social work, referrals to lawyers, the LGBTQ+ Immigrants United group | The Pre-Intake Form on gaycenter.org |
| Legal Services NYC | LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in New York | Free help, including immigration defense; depends on capacity and where you live | Phone: (917) 661-4500, press 3 in the menu for Russian |
| The Door, Legal Services Center | Young people ages 12 to 24 | Free lawyers for asylum and other immigration matters | Become a member of The Door, then legalhelp@door.org |
Immigration Equality
Free
Free information and legal services for people persecuted over orientation, gender identity or HIV. Apply through the online form: there is a link to it in Russian, but members say the form itself is in English. Demand is very high: a reply may take time, and the form doesn't guarantee they'll take your case. The website has guides to applying for asylum on your own (updated September 2023; check them with a lawyer).
The Ark at CBST
A legal help desk at the synagogue Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) for asylum seekers in New York. It doesn't represent people in court but helps them prepare their own (pro se) asylum applications, work permit applications and other papers. Most clients are LGBTQ+ or living with HIV, but others aren't turned away. Social workers give referrals, and partners can provide accompaniment to immigration court. Message on WhatsApp by text or voice; replies within 72 hours on business days.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP), Immigrant Justice Project
SRLP's Immigrant Justice Project (for low-income trans, gender-nonconforming and intersex people) represents clients in immigration status applications and helps get documents with the right gender: work permits, green cards, citizenship certificates. Write a short email to legal@srlp.org without details of your case (others may read it), and a lawyer gets back to you, even when intake is closed.
The LGBTQ+ Center, support for immigrants
Free
A community center in Manhattan; it doesn't represent people in court. Social workers refer you to immigration lawyers, help with housing, food, health care and insurance, and show you how to check your case status in immigration court and with USCIS. To start, fill in the online pre-intake form on the website and choose Immigration. LGBTQ+ Immigrants United, for LGBTQ+ immigrants from any country, meets Thursdays 6–7:30 pm, in person and online.
Legal Services NYC, LGBTQ+ advocacy
Free
Free help for LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV, including immigration defense. Depends on capacity and where you live. Phone hours Mon–Fri 9:30 am–4 pm.
NYC Anti-Violence Project (AVP), legal help
Free
AVP supports LGBTQ+ people and people affected by HIV who survived violence. Its lawyers help for free in Family Court, Housing Court and Civil Court, and with immigration matters. Write to AVP through the form at avp.org/get-help/report-violence: a counselor contacts you within 48 hours.
Write your story in a declaration
Your application usually includes a detailed account: what happened to you, who threatened you and why, what you fear. Write only the truth, with dates and places, and go over it with a lawyer before filing. Don't buy a ready-made story or use someone else's, even if ads in Russian suggest it: if a material part of the application is deliberately made up, it can be found frivolous, and you become permanently ineligible for any benefits under US immigration law. Anyone who helped fill in the form must sign it as the preparer. Officials decide whether to believe you, so corroboration matters. This list of evidence is based on the Immigration Equality guide (updated June 3, 2020).
Gather supporting documents (corroborating evidence)
Medical reports, police documents, letters from witnesses. Letters from people who know you and your story, including your community, count too. QARAVAN writes support letters for community members.
Add materials about conditions in your country (country conditions)
Human rights reports, news articles and expert opinions showing LGBTQ+ people are in danger in your country. Choose them with a lawyer: you need recent, reliable sources.
Consider a medical or psychological evaluation
PHR and the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights examine you at a lawyer's request and write a report on signs of torture, violence and trauma; Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) does this for free (pro bono). Your lawyer, not you, makes the request, and early: at PHR, at least 12 weeks before the deadline.
Keep copies of everything and send documents so that a record remains
Keep a copy of every document you file. Immigration Equality advises sending papers by certified mail, which gives proof of mailing and delivery.
Translate your documents into English
The interview requires certified translations of your documents. Ask your lawyer or organization who can translate.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), Asylum Network
Free
More than 1,500 doctors and other specialists in the PHR network do free psychological and physical exams to document torture and other abuse. The lawyer applies through PHR's form at least 12 weeks before the deadline. PHR can't guarantee a specialist for every case.
Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights (WCCHR)
Exams for asylum cases only, and only for people in New York State. The lawyer writes to wcchr@med.cornell.edu with the type of exam (physical, gynecological or psychological) and the deadline. It can take up to four months; your draft declaration is needed at least a week before the exam. If you need an interpreter, your lawyer brings a certified one (they can join online).
Immigration Equality, Detention Hotline
A line for LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV in immigration detention; it takes calls only from detention centers. The line is in English. It is open Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 am–5:30 pm and Tuesdays 11 am–5:30 pm Eastern. Immigration Equality also has an online form: there is a link to it in Russian, but members say the form itself is in English.
If you or someone close to you is detained (the "Safety and your rights" guide)
For family and friends of a detained person: how to find them, where to get a lawyer, who helps with bond, how to get on the visitor list and what to prepare in advance.
Do not pay anyone who promises an "asylum visa"
According to Immigration Equality, there is no visa for applying for asylum: you can apply only while in the US. Any offer of such a visa for money is a warning sign. QARAVAN cannot arrange visas, invitations, evacuation or letters for people abroad.
Contact Rainbow Railroad
An international nonprofit helping LGBTQ+ people facing persecution at home. The help form is on its website; it says data is kept confidential and then asks for documents to support your story. Its website is blocked in Russia, and contact with LGBTQ+ organizations there can lead to criminal prosecution, so first read the safety notes in the "Immigration and asylum" guide ("If you are not in the US yet"). It can't promise help to everyone, and you must arrange travel documents yourself.
Contact the UN refugee agency (UNHCR)
If you have already fled to another country, contact the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) office there: protection is requested in the country where you are. The US refugee program (USRAP) has been suspended by Executive Order 14163 since January 27, 2025, and you can't apply to it yourself. More in the "Immigration and asylum" guide ("If you are not in the US yet").
Check every offer of help
If someone offers help for money, check the organization on its official website and don't send money or documents to strangers.
Rainbow Railroad
An international nonprofit for LGBTQ+ people facing persecution. Help form and client portal on the website, contact by email; the organization says data is confidential. It helps when it can: emergency travel help, money, applications to government sponsorship programs, relocation within the country, referrals. You must arrange travel documents yourself.
- LGBTQ+
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other people.
- Asylum
- Protection in the US for people persecuted, or with a well-founded fear of persecution, because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group, such as LGBTQ+ people.
- Form I-589
- The asylum application form.
- Declaration
- Your written account of events that forms part of the asylum case.
- Corroborating evidence
- Documents and testimony supporting your story: medical reports, police documents, witness letters.
- Country conditions
- Reports, articles and expert opinions on what is happening in your country.
- Pro se
- You file papers yourself, without a lawyer. Some organizations help prepare them but don't represent you in court.
- One-year filing deadline
- The general rule: apply for asylum within one year of arriving in the US; exceptions are narrow.
- Forensic evaluation
- A doctor's exam documenting signs of torture and trauma, with a report for the case.
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.
Sources, checked November 2026
- gaycenter.org
- gaycenter.org/support/community-casework
- immigrationequality.org/legal-help-inquiry-form
- cbst.org/ark-services
- cbst.org
- srlp.org/legal-services
- legalservicesnyc.org/resources/lgbtq-rights
- avp.org/get-help
- phr.org/get-involved/participate/request-a-forensic-evaluation
- humanrights.weill.cornell.edu/request-evaluation
- rainbowrailroad.org/request-help
- avp.org/get-help/report-violence