After more than 10 years of struggling to stay in the United States legally with her wife, Takako Ueda can breathe free: Her green card is here.

Ueda, 58, a Japanese national, and her wife, Frances Herbert, 53, were among the first same-sex couples to receive immigration benefits after a June decision by the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, often referred to as DOMA.

"I feel a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It's such a basic thing, but I can be ordinary now. I can live out loud," Ueda said.