The Trump administration ordered immigration authorities to consider foreigners with health problems ineligible for an immigrant visa. For example, those with obesity or advanced age who could become a public charge for the country, according to KFF Health News. The U.S. State Department sent a new directive to officials at embassies and consulates that expands the list of medical conditions that could make a foreigner seeking to reside in the country ineligible. While the U.S. has imposed health screenings for immigrant visa applicants for decades, the new directive specifically instructs that the 'applicant's health must be taken into account,' according to the order cited by KFF, a news organization specializing in health. The directive urges visa-granting officials to consider conditions such as obesity and orders the denial of visas to foreigners with health problems. 'All these conditions may require expensive and prolonged medical care,' the measure states. Additionally, officials are instructed to determine whether applicants have the resources to pay for medical treatment without assistance from the U.S. government. Since his first administration, Trump and his advisors have insisted on denying permanent residency to people who could become a public charge. The administration of former President Joe Biden (2021-2025) had rolled back several of the new rules issued by the Republican's first administration regarding the public charge, which the White House is now reviving as part of its migration policy. The new order also aims to consider a person ineligible for entry into the United States if their age makes them more likely to depend on social assistance. The guide also urges that the health of the applicant's family members, including children and elderly parents, be taken into account. Illnesses that, it indicates, can cause asthma, sleep apnea and hypertension, or diabetes, among other conditions, to deny the application.
