Our clients, one a U.S. citizen and the other a Canadian national, had been dating for years, and were considering getting married. As the U.S. federal government had not yet recognized marriage between same-sex couples, they had initially planned to live in Canada, since Canada did recognize such a marriage. However, when the Supreme Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments (including USCIS) to ensure the decision and its implications for federal benefits for same-sex legally married couples were implemented. Therefore, they decided to get married here and live in the U.S., which was their preference. Attorney Furqan filed the adjustment of status application and within 3 months the beneficiary had been interviewed and approved for permanent residency.
