Are civil unions recognized in immigration benefits?
At this time, civil unions are not recognized in immigration benefits in the state of Texas. The federal government is currently the only entity that is able to provide immigration benefits to same-sex couples. Civil unions are a type of legal recognition for relationships between two people, similar to marriage. However, unlike marriage, civil unions are not recognized by the federal government or by the state of Texas for immigration benefits. Civil unions are not recognized as the equivalent of a marriage and therefore are not able to be applied to any immigration benefits. The federal government recognizes marriage as the only legally binding and recognized form of same-sex relationship. This means that any same-sex couple who goes through the process of entering into a civil union, distributes any type of certificate or registration document for this union, will not be considered married by the federal government nor will this civil union be able to be applied to any type of immigration benefits. The state of Texas does not recognize civil unions and this means that the state will not be able to provide any type of immigration benefits to same-sex couples. Same-sex couples who are looking to be recognized by the federal government and to receive immigration benefits can do so through marriage. In order to do this, couples must register for marriage in the state in which they are currently living and be recognized as a married couple by the federal government.
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