President Trump Holds A Roundtable on Foreign Investment
Politics

Trump Administration Halts Visas for Same-Sex Partners of Diplomats

Win McNamee / Getty Images

Starting Monday, the United States will deny visas to the same-sex partners of diplomats unless they are legally married. Although same-sex marriage is illegal in many countries, the policy applies even if the diplomat’s home country doesn’t have marriage equality.

Diplomats currently residing in the United States are required to marry their partners before the end of the year. If they fail to do so, their partner will be deported. The new policy pertains to United Nations employees and foreign diplomats.

Related | Anderson Cooper Debunks Trump Jr.’s Fake News Claim

“Same-sex spouses of US diplomats now enjoy the same rights and benefits as opposite-sex spouses,” the US Mission to the UN announced in a memo. “Consistent with [State] Department policy, partners accompanying members of permanent missions or seeking to join the same must generally be married to be eligible” for a visa.

Former UN ambassador Samantha Power denounced the ruling on Twitter, calling it “needlessly cruel and bigoted.”

A State Department official told CNN, “The change in policy ensures consistent treatment between opposite-sex partners and same-sex partners by requiring that same-sex partners, like opposite-sex partners, must marry to qualify for derivative diplomatic visas.”

“The change in policy reflects the State Department’s goal is to ensure and promote equal treatment. October 1, 2018, also marks the end of a transition period from the Department’s previous same-sex domestic partner policy for US foreign service personnel,” they continued. “Members of the US foreign service must now be married to enjoy the rights and benefits of spouses. This is based on US law, which now recognizes a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.”

The administration maintains it will permit “limited exceptions” if the home country’s government presents documentation that same-sex marriage is outlawed in the country.

Trump Administration Halts Visas for Same-Sex Partners of Diplomats
To Top