The State Department has confirmed that it has no way to process passports from immigrants who do not identify as either male or female.
Some countries, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Australia, and Denmark, allow citizens to identify with gender options other than male and female on official documents. Amruta Alpesh Soni, for instance, has a passport displaying Soni's gender as "T," for transgender.
But people who apply for U.S. visas are forced to identify themselves as male or female on the applications, despite what their passports might say, a State Department spokesperson told BuzzFeed. Soni's application was apparently put "on hold" at a U.S. consulate in Kolkata, India, because the consulate couldn't process the transgender passport. (After the case was profiled in the Times of India, Soni was granted a visa on Thursday.)
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ironically, Soni sought the visa to attend a transgender health conference. "It's a great opportunity, and I hope I don't miss it out due to my sex," Soni told the Times of India.
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage ratethe explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Crossword: September 1, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revoltSpeed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich throwerSpeed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodusSpeed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official saysSpeed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judgesSpeed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policingSpeed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa CookSpeed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportationSpeed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
