Visas for foreigners seeking residency in the US face the possibility of being rejected if applicants have certain medical conditions, including diabetes or obesity, according to a US-based media outlet. KFF Health News.
This was reported by the publication on Thursday, citing a new directive from the Trump administration.
According to the outlet, this new directive was described in a cable issued by the US State Department to embassy and consulate officials.
“Directs visa officials to consider applicants ineligible to enter the U.S. for several new reasons, including age or likelihood of reliance on public benefits.” KFF reported.
“The guidance says that such people could become a ‘public charge’ – a potential drain on US resources – because of their health problems or their age,” the report says.
“The health of the applicant must be considered,” the cable said, according to KFF. He added: “Certain medical conditions, including but not limited to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions, may require care worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
According KFFThe cable also encouraged visa officials to consider conditions such as obesity (which it noted could cause asthma, sleep apnea and high blood pressure) as they evaluated whether an immigrant could become a public charge and should therefore be denied entry to the United States.
“All of this may require expensive long-term care,” the cable said, further directing visa officials to determine whether applicants had the means to pay for medical treatment without financial assistance from the U.S. government.
KFF reported that the instruction also directed visa officers to consider the health of the applicant’s family members, including children or elderly parents.
Tommy Pigott, chief deputy spokesman for the US State Department, also said in a statement: “It is no secret that the Trump administration is putting the interests of the American people first. This includes enforcing policies that ensure our immigration system is not a burden on the American taxpayer.”
Furthermore, the official told reporters that the decision to issue a visa had always been at the discretion of an official.
Officials are not instructed to reject an applicant because they have a certain medical condition, but rather to consider the “overall impact” if someone is unlikely to be able to pay for their own medical care, they clarified.
“It’s dealt with on an individual, case-by-case basis,” the official added.
