A married lesbian couple living in Vermont who were threatened with being separated by federal immigration authorities have been granted a reprieve.

Japanese immigrant Takako Ueda and her American spouse, Frances Herbert, got word Tuesday that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services decided to defer action on deportation proceedings against Ueda, whose visa had expired.

The decision ended months of uncertainty that was heightened in December when Ueda received a letter ordering her to leave the country by Dec. 31. She did not comply. Herbert said in a phone interview from the couple's home in Dummerston that they had been told Ueda's case would be reviewed in two years.

"Now at least we can exhale," Herbert said.

"Yes, yes, it's a great feeling," Ueda added.

Ueda and Herbert are one of an estimated 36,000 binational, same-sex couples living in the United States, said Steve Ralls, a Washington-based spokesman for Immigration Equality, a group that advocates for such couples.