civil union

[Bjl73 12]

I'm not sure where some of you are getting your information from. The US government does not recognise civil unions as marriage. It clearly states this on the website.

U.S. Visas for Same-Sex Spouses

Effective immediately, U.S. embassies and consulates will adjudicate visa applications that are based on a same-sex marriage in the same way that we adjudicate applications for opposite gender spouses. This means that the same sex spouse of a visa applicant coming to the U.S. for any purpose – including work, study, international exchange or as a legal immigrant – will be eligible for a derivative visa. Likewise, stepchildren acquired through same sex marriages can also qualify as beneficiaries or for derivative status.

You are not required to live or intend to live in a state in which same sex marriage is legal in order to qualify for an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa. If your marriage is valid in the jurisdiction (U.S. state or foreign country) where it took place, it is valid for immigration purposes. For more information, please review the following page on the United States. Further information is available from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.

The following FAQs may address some of the issues you may have.

Will a civil union or domestic partnership be treated the same as a marriage?

At this time, only a relationship legally considered to be a marriage in the jurisdiction where it took place establishes eligibility as a spouse for immigration purposes.

If a U.S. citizen who is engaged to be married to a foreign national of the same sex and they cannot marry in the fiancé’s country, can they apply for a fiancé K visa?

The U.S. citizen may file a Form I-129F and the foreign national may apply for a fiancé(e) (K) visa. As long as all other immigration requirements are met, a same-sex engagement may allow your fiancé to enter the United States for the purpose of marriage. For information on adjusting status, please see the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.

[Bjl73 12]

To answer the original posters question, I'm not sure what is the 'correct' way however I can tell you we included ours. It was proof of name change for my partner. Our civil partnership took place in the US. It isn't recognised as a marriage. My partner is from the United Kingdom.