Bill Summaries
The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)
The Uniting American Families Act would allow a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their same-sex partner for immigration to the U.S., a right which is currently denied.
U.S. immigration law is based on the principle of “family unification.” Accordingly, it allows Americans to reunite with their parents, children, and spouses by sponsoring these family members for immigration. However, gay and lesbian Americans cannot sponsor their foreign born partners for immigration, no matter how long they have been together or how committed their relationship is.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, over 36,000 couples are affected by this discrimination; and 46% of them are raising children. Many gay and lesbian Americans in binational relationships have aging parents and must make difficult decisions between managing their parents’ health or remaining with their partner.
With no ability to sponsor their partners, Americans are being forced abroad: taking their tax base, their talent, and enterprise to one of more than 20 countries that offer immigration benefits for same-sex partners.
Read the full text of the Bill on THOMAS, the Library of Congress' legislative information site.
See how many cosponsors the Bill has in the House and the Senate.
Support THE UNITING AMERICAN FAMILIES ACT, H.R. 1024/S. 424
The Uniting American Families Act of 2009 (UAFA) ends immigration discrimination against lesbian and gay Americans by allowing them to sponsor their permanent partners for immigration. UAFA (S. 424/H.R. 1024) was introduced on February 12, 2009 in the Senate by Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and in the House of Representatives by Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
To qualify for benefits, permanent partners, like married couples, would need to prove their emotional and financial commitment through rigorous documentation. Applicants for permanent partnership benefits would face the same interview process that married couples face. Gay and lesbian binational couples would also face the same criminal penalties for fraud — imprisonment for up to five years and a $250,000 fine — as married couples. Additionally, to ensure the foreign national does not become a public charge, the American partner would be required to sign an affidavit committing to support the foreign national partner for ten years, even if the partnership ends.