Supreme Court May Rule on Whether Same-Sex Couples Can Enjoy the Same Immigration Benefits as Heterosexual Couples

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases which could decide whether visas can be granted to foreign-born same-sex spouses.

Both cases involve the issue of same-sex marriages.  One stems from a California case where voters approved a ban to same-sex marriages.  The other is an appeal from a Second Circuit case which held that the Defense of Marriage Act was an unconstitutional violation of the Equal Protection Clause.

The Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the Federal Government from recognizing same-sex marriages for the purposes of federal law.  The Second Circuit case specifically addressed whether the surviving spouse of a legal lesbian marriage could claim the marital deduction in the federal estate tax.  However, because the Second Circuit found the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, it opened the door for same-sex couples to claim other federal benefits reserved for married couples.

One such benefit is the ability to petition for an immigrant visa for a foreign-born spouse.  U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may petition for a visa for a foreign-born spouse.  To date, such visas were only available to heterosexual couples, even if the same-sex marriage was legally valid where is was concluded.  With many U.S. states legalizing same-sex marriages, a finding by the Supreme Court that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional may open the door from numerous same-sex couples to solidify a legal immigration status for a foreign-born spouse.

By: William J. Kovatch, Jr.
(703) 837-8832
info@kovatchimmigrationlaw.com

Could Same-Sex Couples Eventually Apply for Visas?

A decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit may open the door to permit same-sex couples to apply for visas.

The case is Windsor v. United States. It involves the application of the federal estate tax to the estate of a woman who had married her same-sex partner in Canada.  The couple lived in New York, where Thea Clara Spayer died.  Her same-sex spouse, Edith Windsor, inherited her property, and claimed the marital deduction when calculating the estate tax due.  The deduction was disallowed, citing the Defense of Marriage Act.

The Defense of Marriage Act limits the Federal Government to recognizing only a marriage between one mane and one woman when applying all federal law.  The Second Circuit found this to be in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

While the decision involves the federal estate tax, the Defense of Marriage Act has also been applied to prevent a U.S. citizen from submitting a visa petition for a foreign-born same-sex spouse.  If the decision stands, it could open the door for same-sex couples to apply for immigration benefits previously denied.

The jurisdiction of the Second Circuit is limited to Connecticut, New York and Vermont.  But, there could be an incentive for same-sex couples to move to one of those states now, and file a visa petition in order to force the Federal Government to follow the decision in the immigration context.

The text of the decision can be found here.

An article from the New York Times on the decision can be found here.

By:  William J. Kovatch, Jr.
(703) 837-8832
info@kovatchimmigrationlaw.com