New US Visa Restrictions Target Applicants with Chronic Health Conditions Like Obesity and Diabetes

The Trump administration issued a new directive on Thursday that could potentially deny visas to foreign nationals seeking to live in the United States if they have chronic health conditions such as diabetes or obesity.

This State Department directive instructs American embassies and consulates worldwide that applicants with certain health issues might be considered a "public charge" who could potentially drain US resources, as reported by KFF Health News in Washington.

While the visa application process has traditionally included screening for communicable diseases, vaccination history, infectious diseases, and mental health conditions, these new guidelines significantly expand the medical conditions to be evaluated.

According to the report, the official cable states: "You must consider an applicant's health. Certain medical conditions – including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions – can require hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care."

Visa officers are now instructed to evaluate whether applicants have the financial capability to cover their medical treatment costs without requiring public assistance.

Charles Wheeler, a senior attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, a nonprofit legal aid organization, noted that while the guidelines technically apply to all visa types, they will likely be implemented primarily for permanent residency applications.

The directive specifically asks visa officers to determine: "Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalisation at government expense?"

Wheeler expressed concern about visa officers being asked to make medical judgments, stating, "That's troubling because they're not medically trained, they have no experience in this area, and they shouldn't be making projections based on their own personal knowledge or bias."

Beyond the applicants themselves, the guidance also directs officers to assess the health conditions of family members, including children and elderly parents, asking: "Do any of the dependents have disabilities, chronic medical conditions, or other special needs and require care such that the applicant cannot maintain employment?"

Sophia Genovese, an immigration lawyer at Georgetown University, criticized the guidelines for encouraging visa officers to speculate on applicants' potential medical care costs and employment prospects based on their medical history, according to the KFF report.