The State Department has reversed course on its visa requirements for same-sex partners of foreign diplomats and the staff of U.S.-based international organizations. On Monday, it implemented a policy denying visas to such partners if they’re not legally married.
U.S. diplomats had announced the decision to foreign delegations in July, saying the move is intended to render department policy consistent between same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Previously, under a policy instituted in 2009 under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “domestic partners” were considered members of the family — and thus eligible for a G-4 visa.
But on a conference call with reporters Tuesday, senior administration officials emphasized said they undertook a change in policy to accommodate the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.
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