This blog has talked quite extensively about the changes that could come to immigration with the end of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, but now that the Supreme Court of the United States has finally overturned parts of the law that treat married same-sex couples differently from married differently sexed couples, some of those changes are coming to fruition. One of the biggest was announced by Secretary of State John Kerry while he visited the U.S. embassy in London.
According to Kerry, same-sex spouses will be treated just like any other spouse when it comes to applying for visas and work authorizations. This could be big news for people in New Jersey or planning to move to New Jersey. While they were previously unable to sponsor a spouse for a work authorization, they now can. This will likely reunite many families previously separated by American immigration law.
When many immigrants are given employment visas, whether to become permanent residents or just for temporary immigration, they have the opportunity to bring spouses and dependent children with them. Up until Kerry's announcement, however, this only applied to opposite-sex spouses. With the federal government recognizing anyone who has been legally married, both same-sex and opposite-sex spouses can immigrate together.
This also means that immigrants will be able to get work authorizations for their same-sex spouses. Since it is is often difficult for a couple to live on one income alone in New Jersey, this will make it easier for immigrant families to get by. The announcement was only made at the beginning of the month, so it may be some time before New Jersey will feel the effects of same-sex spouse immigration, but it will be coming.
Source: CNN, "Kerry: Same-sex spouses' visas will get equal treatment," Jill Dougherty and Tom Cohen, Aug. 2, 2013
