Sunday, April 15, 2012
USCIS revises policy for transgenders' immigration documents, marriage benefits
Staff Reports
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/04/uscis-revises-policy-for-transgenders-immigration-documents-marriage-benefits/WASHINGTON – The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday issued a policy memorandum revising the treatment of gender designations for transgender people on their immigration documents.
The new guidance designates that if a couple has married as an opposite-sex couple under state law, the federal government will continue to recognize the marriage for immigration purposes regardless of a person's subsequent gender transition.
[...]
Significantly, the gender designation change is modeled after the U.S. State Department's updated passport policy, which does not require sex reassignment surgery.
"This Guidance is an important step forward for transgender immigrants and their families," said Victoria Neilson, legal director for Immigration Equality.
