State Department tightens US visa and green card rules

NEW YORK: The U.S. State Department has issued new guidelines that could deny foreign nationals who have certain chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, a U.S. visa or permanent residency (green card).

The guidelines were issued by the Trump administration and have been sent to U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.

According to the new State Department guidelines, visa officers can now consider applicants’ heart, respiratory, neurological, mental health, and metabolic diseases (such as diabetes) as possible reasons for visa denial.

The guidelines state that if an applicant has a medical condition that is expensive to treat and may require government financial assistance in the future, a visa may be denied on that basis.

Officers are also instructed to look at whether the applicant can afford to pay for their own medical expenses.

The guidelines have been extended to the applicant’s family members. Visa officers have been told to consider whether dependents have a chronic illness or disability that could affect the applicant’s ability to perform or be financially self-sufficient.

Traditionally, U.S. visa applications have only been screened for communicable diseases, vaccinations, and specific aspects of mental health.

The new rules also include non-communicable but long-term illnesses, giving non-medically trained visa officers more discretion and raising concerns that decisions could be based on personal or cultural bias.

Applicants for a US visa will still have to undergo a medical examination by an embassy-approved physician, which includes screening for infectious diseases, mental health, drug abuse, and vaccinations.

However, under the new guidelines, the financial burden of chronic diseases and their long-term treatment has now also been made an important part of the decision.