Tag Archives: immigration
Supreme Court Ruling Will Allow Same-Sex Married Couples to File for Immigration Benefits
Today the U.S. Supreme Court decided, in a case called United States v. Windsor, that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and is therefore invalid.
This means that same-sex couples who are legally married in one of the states or jurisdictions that recognize same-sex marriage will have their marriages recognized by the federal government.
Although we have not yet received an announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about the Supreme Court ruling, it appears likely that same-sex couples who are legally married in the United States will be able to apply for immigration benefits, such as permanent resident (green card) status, based on the marriage.
We hope to receive confirmation soon from USCIS regarding the ability of legally married same-sex couples to apply for immigration benefits.
Nine states reject anti-immigration legislation
During the current legislative session, at least nine states have defeated proposed anti-immigrant legislation. Most recently, Iowa and Kansas have voted down such measures, joining Virginia, Kentucky, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, and Washington.
For more details, take a look here.