Monday, June 2, 2014 marked the first day that all same-sex couples across the state of Illinois could get married, opening the door to thousands of benefits for same sex couples including insurance benefits, survivor benefits, and next-of-kin rights. This change opens up a wide range of immigration benefits as well. A U.S. citizen or green card holder who is in a same-sex marriage to a foreign national can now file an immigration petition for their spouse, a privilege that so far has only been extended to same-sex married couples and not those in a civil union.