Trump Administration Stops Granting Visas to Same-Sex Partners of Foreign Diplomats

October 2, 2018 Focus Washington Administration

Under a policy which came into force on Monday, same-sex partners of foreign diplomats and UN officials serving in the U.S. will no longer be granted visas by the Trump administration, ABC News informs.

The only exception are married same-sex couples, which may also prove tricky as same-sex marriage is not recognized in a significantly high number of countries. Couples already in the United States are required to show proof that they’ve married by the end of this year or to leave the country within 30 days.

A State Department spokesperson said that the move aims to “ensure and promote equal treatment” considering that heterosexual domestic partners of foreign diplomats are also not eligible for U.S. visas. The Trump administration’s decision is based on the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal in the United States.

The policy affects at least 10 unmarried UN employees and their partners currently in the country.

“Same-sex spouses of U.S. diplomats now enjoy the same rights and benefits as opposite-sex spouses,” reads an announcement by the U.S. mission to the United Nations. “Consistent with [State] Department policy, partners accompanying members of permanent missions or seeking to join the same must generally be married in order to be eligible” for a diplomatic visa.

The move was criticized by some, who argue that this complicates matters for same-sex couples in many countries where marriage isn’t a legal possibility, especially in countries where homosexuality is criminalized.

“It is an unfortunate change in rules, since same-sex couples, unlike opposite-sex couples, have limited choices when it comes to marriage,” said a statement by a UN LGBTI staff advocacy group, which also stressed that same-sex couples are particularly at risk if they return to a country that criminalizes homosexuality where they will almost certainly be prosecuted.

Samantha Power, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, said the move was “needlessly cruel and bigoted,” noting that “only 12% of UN member states allow same-sex marriage.”