The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage will make it easier and less costly for many foreign nationals to obtain immigration benefits through marriage. In an historic 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled last Friday in Obergefell v. Hodges that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires states to license same-sex…
Tag: LGBT
Immigrating Based on Same-Sex Marriage: More USCIS Q&A
USCIS has answered more questions about immigration based on same-sex marriage. Here are some of the answers provided in a meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) on Oct. 23, 2013:
U.S. State Department Videoconference on Visas for Same-Sex Spouses
The Washington Blade hosted a live videoconference on visas for same-sex spouses on August 8. The topic is timely because Secretary of State Kerry just announced on August 2 that “effective immediately, when same-sex spouses apply for a visa, the Department of State will consider that application in the same manner that it will consider the…
Visa Applications for Same-Sex Spouses at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China
In an historic ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that same-sex spouses are eligible for the same federal benefits—including immigration benefits—as heterosexual spouses. (I’ve blogged about it here.) Now, I’d like to explore what this means specifically for those applying for immigration benefits at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Consulates in China…