Obesity, Diabetes, and Mental Health Could Now Lead to US Visa Rejection

The health condition of an individual applying for a US visa could now become basis for rejection. As per reports, the US administration under President Donald Trump has reportedly directed consular offices across the world to deem those individuals seeking to enter and live in the US ineligible if they have certain medical conditions.

These medical conditions include: cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions.

The US administration has reportedly issued such a directive assuming that these people could end up relying on public benefits, a report by KFF Health News stated.

A cable, issued by the State Department, advised visa officers to consider conditions like obesity in making their decisions, noting that the condition could cause asthma, sleep apnoea, and high blood pressure.

The visa officers were advised to assess whether an immigrant could become a public charge and “require expensive, long-term care”.

Visa officers were also directed to deem applicants ineligible to enter the US for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits”.

The report stated, “The guidance says that such people could become a ‘public charge’ — a potential drain on US resources — because of their health issues or age.”

Visa officers were instructed to assess whether applicants are financially stable to pay for their medical treatment without help from the US government.

“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?” the cable reads.

Further, the guidance also directed visa officers to consider the health of family members, including children or older parents.

“Do any of the dependents have disabilities, chronic medical conditions or other special needs and require care such that the applicant cannot maintain employment?” the cable said, according to the news report.

The US administration’s new guidelines for visa officers come at a time when applicants have been under immense scrutiny due to the rampant changes in US visa policy.