Victory for Trans Immigration Documents and Marriage Benefits
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum revising the treatment of gender designations for transgender people on their immigration documents. The new guidance also make clear that if a couple has married as a different-sex couple under state law, the federal government will not deny that recognition regardless of a person’s prior or subsequent gender transition.
The revisions will be updated in the Adjudicator’s Field Manual, a guide binding all USCIS staff overseeing immigration procedures.
NCTE Policy Counsel Harper Jean Tobin said, “Today’s announcement is another example of the Obama Administration’s long-term commitment to equality. These revisions mean that trans people and their families can obtain accurate identification while maintaining their privacy. It’ll also reduces bureaucratic delays, intrusive questions, and wrongful denials of immigration benefits.”