The United States Government has introduced a new immigration policy that would see visa and green card applications denied to people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The directive, issued under the Trump administration, expands the long-standing public charge rule, a policy that bars immigrants considered likely to become financially dependent on government support.
The new guidance, circulated by the State Department to embassies and consulates worldwide, instructs visa officers to flag applicants whose medical conditions may require “hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care.”
The list of conditions includes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, neurological and metabolic disorders, as well as mental health conditions.
Obesity is also cited as a factor, given its potential to cause other costly complications such as asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.
According to the guidance, visa officers are now required to consider whether applicants or their family members have the financial means to pay for long-term treatment without U.S. government assistance.
Immigration lawyers have also warned that the policy could give non-medical officers wide discretion to make complex health judgments.
“This is troubling because visa officers aren’t medically trained,” said Sophia Genovese, an immigration lawyer at Georgetown University.
“They’re being asked to predict future medical emergencies and costs based on limited knowledge.”
Advocates fear the policy will drastically reduce legal immigration, particularly for older applicants and those with common chronic conditions, effectively favoring only the healthiest and wealthiest candidates.
