London:
The United States will immediately begin considering visa applications of gay and lesbian spouses in the same manner as heterosexual couples, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.
Kerry made the announcement at the US Embassy in London.
"When same-sex couples apply for a visa, the Department of State will consider that application in the same manner that it considers the application of opposite sex spouses," Kerry said shortly after his arrival in London.
"If you are the spouse of a US citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. If you are the spouse of a non-citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. If you are in a country that doesn't recognize your same-sex marriage, then your visa application will still be treated equally at every single one of our 222 visa processing centers around the world," he added.
The move comes after the Obama administration urged all US agencies to review their polices after the US Supreme Court in June struck down a key part of the federal law that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security said its US Citizenship and Immigration Services would begin reviewing petitions filed on behalf of same-sex spouses the same way as those for spouses in heterosexual marriages.
Kerry made the announcement at the US Embassy in London.
"When same-sex couples apply for a visa, the Department of State will consider that application in the same manner that it considers the application of opposite sex spouses," Kerry said shortly after his arrival in London.
"If you are the spouse of a US citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. If you are the spouse of a non-citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. If you are in a country that doesn't recognize your same-sex marriage, then your visa application will still be treated equally at every single one of our 222 visa processing centers around the world," he added.
The move comes after the Obama administration urged all US agencies to review their polices after the US Supreme Court in June struck down a key part of the federal law that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security said its US Citizenship and Immigration Services would begin reviewing petitions filed on behalf of same-sex spouses the same way as those for spouses in heterosexual marriages.
© Thomson Reuters 2013
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