May
24
Ask Chris: Same Sex Partnerships and US Work Visas
Filed Under Ask Chris, L-1 Visa | Leave a Comment
Q: My company is sending me to the US to work. Is it possible for my partner (who is of the same sex) to accompany me?
A: With regards to same sex relationships, or Civil Partnerships as they are known in the UK, US immigration unfortunately does not recognize these. In your case whilst you may be able to qualify for an L1-A or L1B visa (check with your company which they have in mind as they a radically different in quality) your partner would need to qualify in his own right.
I’m not sure how much advice and support you require at this stage since it’s not clear how likely it is that you’ll get the position, how senior it is, how soon they want you to relocate with or without your partner and who would be paying for the immigration. Answers to these questions would be really helpful so I can advise you better. You partner could always start off as a student and then work his way up the immigration ladder or could buy a business and qualify for immigration that way.