NewYorkBlade.com – By Kerry Eleveld
The petition of a fully transitioned New York transgender woman who has been a U.S. citizen since 1996 to sponsor her foreign-born husband for citizenship has slipped through the cracks of U.S. governmental bureaucracy.
Melissa, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, has legally changed her name and possesses a U.S. passport issued in her proper name and gender; she has licenses from two different states where she is correctly identified; she is recognized under her new name by the IRS for tax purposes and has been issued a new social security card in her female name.
But the Department of Immigration and Naturalization has denied her request to reissue her naturalization certificate with her female name and gender identity?a certificate she needs in order to sponsor her foreign-born husband for a green card.