French Senate Approves Same-Sex Marriage

I wrote a few weeks ago that the French National Assembly voted to approve same-sex marriage. Today, the French Senate passed a bill approving same-sex marriage, also. In the coming weeks, the two bills will undergo a “second reading” to reconcile minor differences in language. It is expected that the final bill will pass and same-sex marriage could be a reality throughout France by mid-Summer.

Yesterday, I noted that the Legislature of Uruguay also passed a same-sex marriage bill, and early in February, the United Kingdom was moving in the same direction.

In my work as an immigration lawyer and advocate on gay and lesbian issues, clients always ask me whether a legal marriage in, say, Canada or Netherlands would qualify a foreigner to apply for US Legal Permanent Residence through a petition by a US citizen spouse. At the present time, even with so many countries of the world recognizing and approving same-sex marriages, the United States still labors under the effects of §3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which prohibits the US from granting any benefits, including green cards, based on a same-sex marriage.

A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard arguments in a case that has the potential of invalidating §3 of DOMA. If this happens — and I am cautiously optimistic — then the US citizen in a legally-married same-sex couple would be eligible for apply for legal resident status for his/her spouse. The SCOTUS decision is expected by 30 June 2013.

If you have questions about non-traditional families, same-sex marriage, and immigration, please contact my office to set up a consultation. –jcf