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State Department

Secretary of State John Kerry announced his department would start granting visas to same-sex spouses just as it does for heterosexual married couples.

The U.S. State Department Friday began processing visa applications from same-sex spouses in the same way that it has dealt with those from heterosexual married couples.

The change came after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. Secretary of State John Kerry said, if someone in a same-sex marriage is the spouse of a U-S citizen, or is the spouse of a non-citizen, their visa applications will now be treated the same as heterosexual spouses.

Even if a person is in a country that doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage, their visa application will still be treated equally at all 222 visa processing centers around the world.

Kerry said, as long as a marriage has been performed in a jurisdiction that recognizes it, then that marriage is valid under U.S. immigration laws and every married couple will be treated exactly the same.