Civil Partnership (NYC)

[mooksuk]

Hi folks,

I have been dating and living with an American for 2+ years in the UK on a UK work permit who is soon to return home to the US.

If we were to enter into a civil partnership in the UK does this allow me to move to the US? (I know that RI does not recognise civil partnerships but I have read that NYC does).

I am a UK national.

Many thanks!

[cafeconleche]

NY might recognise them, but the federal government (which is responsible for immigration) doesn't, I don't think. It would be interesting to see if you find something to disprove me. I would love that.

[-me-]

Hi folks,

I have been dating and living with an American for 2+ years in the UK on a UK work permit who is soon to return home to the US.

If we were to enter into a civil partnership in the UK does this allow me to move to the US? (I know that RI does not recognise civil partnerships but I have read that NYC does).

I am a UK national.

Many thanks!

same-sex partnership?

[mooksuk]

Yeah that's correct.

[-me-]

No chance for immigration. The Federal law does not recognize it. Visiting is the simplest option, but it has nothing to do with the partnership.

[baikal3]

Yeah that's correct.

As noted by others in this thread, for the moment the federal law does not allow you to derive any immigration benefits via a same-sex marriage or civil/domestic partnership. Specifically, DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) passed by Congress in 1996, prohibits the federal government from providing such benefits.

Last year the Obama administration decided to drop its defense of DOMA in several ongoing federal court cases, but said that it will continue to enforce the DOMA law until and unless it is overturned by a court or repealed . See, for example,
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama...2#.UDASnhx9BfY