The United States government has announced new guidelines that could deny visas and green cards to foreign nationals with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other long-term illnesses.
The directive, issued under the President Donald Trump administration, expands the definition of who may be classified as a “public charge”, a term used in U.S. immigration law to describe individuals deemed likely to become financially dependent on government support.
According to a State Department cable circulated to American embassies and consulates worldwide, visa officers have been instructed to flag applicants whose medical conditions could result in “hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care.”
The list of targeted conditions includes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, metabolic and neurological disorders, as well as mental health conditions.
The memo also highlights obesity as a red flag, noting its potential to cause costly complications such as asthma, sleep apnea, and hypertension.
Officials are now directed to assess whether applicants could pose future financial burdens to the state due to these health issues.
Traditionally, medical screenings in visa processing focused mainly on communicable diseases such as tuberculosis.
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However, the new directive marks a major departure by making chronic illnesses a central factor in determining visa eligibility.
According to the Murthy Law Firm, the State Department is linking health status to admissibility in an unprecedented way. This move effectively ties an applicant’s medical history to their perceived economic worth.
It remains unclear whether the new policy will also apply to nonimmigrant visa categories such as tourist (B1/B2) and student (F1) visas.
