- The Trump administration has issued new guidance allowing visa officers to deny entry to foreign nationals with certain chronic medical conditions
- Visa applicants will now be assessed on both their health status and their financial ability to pay for medical treatment
- The State Department’s cable instructed officers to determine whether applicants can cover potential medical costs without becoming a financial burden
Elijah Ntongai, an editor at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
Foreign nationals seeking to live in the United States could soon face visa denials if they suffer from certain chronic medical conditions.
Source: Getty Images
The new Trump administration guidance has included chronic illnesses that can be considered to add to the ‘public charge’ among reasons for visa denial. These include diabetes, heart disease, or obesity, among other chronic illnesses.
According to the directive sent by the State Department to embassies and consulates worldwide, visa officers are now instructed to consider an applicant’s health and the potential financial burden they might pose to the US healthcare system when determining eligibility.
US visa health assessments
The guidance expands the scope of medical evaluations traditionally focused on communicable diseases like tuberculosis, allowing officials to weigh chronic and non-contagious illnesses such as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and mental health conditions.
“You must consider an applicant’s health. Certain medical conditions, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions, can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care,” read the cable as reported by ABC News.
It also highlights obesity as a risk factor, citing its links to asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure, conditions that may result in costly, long-term medical care.
US to assess visa applicants’ finances
Applicants will now be assessed not only on their health but also on their financial capacity to manage medical treatment independently, without placing a burden on the US healthcare system.
Visa officers were instructed to determine whether candidates have “adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over their entire expected lifespan” without seeking public assistance.
This marks a sharp departure from previous policy, which prohibited denials based on hypothetical future health costs.
The directive aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader immigration agenda, which seeks to limit both legal and illegal immigration through tougher entry requirements, refugee bans, and restrictions on green card eligibility for individuals deemed “public charges”.
Source: UGC
Is the US Green Card lottery open?
In other news, the United States government has clarified that registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa (DV) programme, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, is not yet open.
The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs emphasised that official updates and registration dates will only be announced through government channels and warned the public against fraudulent websites and false claims.
Additionally, the US ended automatic extensions of work permits for foreign nationals.
Consequently, holders of the permits will be required to renew them at least 180 days before expiry to enhance security vetting.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
