In a sweeping new directive, the Trump administration has ordered US visa officers to start weighing chronic health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and even depression, as potential reasons to deny entry or residency to foreigners. According to a cable sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to US embassies and consulates worldwide on November 6, visa officers will now have broader discretion to reject applicants deemed likely to require “expensive or prolonged medical care.”
The policy marks a sharp expansion of existing medical screenings, which had previously focused mainly on contagious diseases. Under the new rules, applicants suffering from conditions such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, neurological disorders, or mental health issues like anxiety and depression could be disqualified.
Critics say the move could unfairly target millions of people with manageable chronic illnesses, while the administration insists it’s an effort to protect US taxpayers from bearing healthcare costs linked to immigrants.
New Trump directive could deny more visas based on health conditions
The guidance, issued last week in a cable from the State Department and obtained by The Associated Press, directs embassy and consular officials to comprehensively and thoroughly vet visa applicants to demonstrate that they will not need to rely on public benefits from the government any time after their admission to the US.
“The Trump Administration is putting the interests of the American people first,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Tuesday. “This includes enforcing policies that ensure our immigration system is not a burden on the American taxpayer.”
Among the medical conditions that could disqualify a visa applicant are chronic conditions; obesity; high blood pressure; cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases; depression; anxiety; and mental health conditions that can require “hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care,” the cable says.
Immigrants seeking entry into the US already undergo a medical exam by a physician who’s been approved by a US Embassy. They are screened for communicable diseases, like tuberculosis, and asked to disclose any history of drug or alcohol use, mental health conditions or violence. They’re also required to have a number of vaccinations.
The new directive goes further with more specific requirements. The cable says consular officials must consider a range of specific details about people seeking visas, including their age, health, family status, finances, education, skills and any past use of public assistance regardless of the country. It also says they should assess applicants’ English proficiency and can do so by conducting interviews in English.
(With AP inputs)
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Posted in: Immigration
posted on: November 18, 2025