Katharine Ebensteiner of Renton and her partner, Fabienne "Fei" Ruttimann, who lives in Switzerland, don't see any good options for them to live together in the United States. The women met in 2004 when both were enrolled in a studies-abroad program in Japan. On the walls of Ebensteiner's apartment are numerous photographs of Ruttimann and of the two women together.

Ebensteiner, 25, who works as a staff technician with a geotech engineering firm, said the relationship is the first real one she's had, and she knows that Ruttimann, 26, who will graduate from college in Switzerland next year, is the woman she wants to spend her life with. But the two have spent the past two years trying to figure out how to make that happen. "We get no training in high school about how to get your partner into the country," she said.

Immigration lottery. They are trying their luck with the immigration lottery, a long-shot, luck-of-the-draw system for awarding 55,000 green cards out of some 6 million applications worldwide each year. Ultimately, they believe, they'll have to relocate to Canada.

In the ongoing debate over immigration, she's been surprised to find cases like hers have received no attention. "Whenever I hear a report about immigration on the radio, on TV, I listen closely. ... "There's never any mention of this. It's pretty frustrating." Read story, "Gays find a struggle bringing partners into U.S.", Seattle Times.

(Photo: Personal, Katharine Ebensteiner, right, is trying the immigration lottery as a long-shot chance of getting a green card for her partner, Fabienne "Fei" Ruttimann. Seattle Times; 2007)

Tags: USA, Switzerland, Canada