U.S. officials paved
the way on Friday for same-sex spouses to visit or live
in the United States, announcing the State
Department will give equal treatment to visa
applications of gays and lesbians who want to travel
with their partner.
Secretary of State John Kerry, announcing the
measure at the U.S. embassy in London, said the shift
will allow the department to start processing requests
from married gay couples the same way it handles
those from heterosexual spouses.
"As long as a marriage has been performed in the
jurisdiction that recognizes it, then that marriage is
valid under U.S. immigration laws. Every married
couple will be treated exactly the same, and that is
what we believe is appropriate," Kerry said.
The move, which follows similar action last month by
U.S. immigration officials, would help U.S. citizens live
and travel with their same-sex spouse in the United
State as well as allow married couples from other
countries to visit the United States.
It will mostly affect married gay couples overseas, gay
rights advocates said. For example, if one spouse has
a visa to travel to the Unites States for work or study,
their spouse can apply to come along.
It would also help gay Americans living in other
countries bring their spouse to the United States, they
said.
"This is exciting news for couples who are living
abroad," said Victoria Neilson, legal director for the
advocacy group Immigration Equality.
The move comes after the Obama administration
urged all U.S. agencies to review their polices after the
U.S. Supreme Court in June struck down a key part of
the federal law that defined marriage as between a
man and a woman.
U.S. immigration law requires visa travel documents
for those who want to live in the United States
permanently or to stay temporarily.
In July, the Department of Homeland Security said its
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
would begin reviewing petitions filed on behalf of
same-sex spouses the same way as those for spouses
in heterosexual marriages.
Friday's announcement by the State Department
gives U.S. embassies and consulates around the world
the same power to do so on applications filed
overseas.
"If you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, your visa
application will be treated equally. If you are the
spouse of a non-citizen, your visa application will be
treated equally. If you are in a country that doesn't
recognize your same-sex marriage, then your visa
application will still be treated equally at every single
one of our 222 visa processing centers around the
world," Kerry said.
Fifteen countries outside the United States recognize
same-sex marriage, according to Immigration
Equality
.www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE9710NT20130802?irpc=932