Trump administration directs officials to deny visas based on obesity, cancer, and diabetes

The Trump administration has instructed visa officers to consider obesity and other chronic health problems such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes as reasons to deny foreigners US visas.

According to a document obtained and verified by the Washington Post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified US consulates and embassies worldwide of these changes in a cable dated November 6.

This move expands the existing medical screening beyond communicable diseases and provides visa officers with new grounds to reject applicants in the Trump administration’s latest effort to curb immigration flows.

The State Department cable, previously reported by KFF Health News, states, “You must consider the applicant’s health. Certain medical conditions, including but not limited to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health disorders, may require treatment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The cable also recommends that consulates consider obesity when deciding whether to issue a visa, noting that it can lead to sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and clinical depression.

The cable was drafted by the agency’s political leadership and did not go through the normal review channels. A senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said this process would normally include input from career staff.

“This guidance gives consular officers broad discretion to deny both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas based on common health issues that have never been considered disqualifying on their own,” said immigration attorney Vic Goel.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said:

“For 100 years, State Department policy has included the authority to deny visa applicants who would become a financial burden on taxpayers, such as those seeking publicly funded healthcare in the US and who could further deplete the healthcare resources of American citizens.

President Trump’s administration is finally putting this policy into full effect and prioritizing Americans. Low-level bureaucrats may have used the Joe Biden administration’s rubber stamp, but under President Trump, the instructions come from the top, not from whining deep-staters complaining to the Washington Post.”

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 16% of adults worldwide were obese in 2022, and 14% had diabetes.

The State Department’s guidance also instructs visa officers to consider applicants inadmissible to the US for several new reasons.

These reasons include whether applicants are past retirement age, how many dependents (children or elderly parents) they have, and whether their dependents have “special needs” or disabilities.

Rubio issued this directive under the “public charge” rule, which denies visas and green cards to immigrants expected to heavily use welfare programs or require institutionalization.

The State Department’s directive applies to temporary visa holders, such as H-1B visa holders, as well as immigrants seeking permanent residence in the US for work and family reasons.

Certain humanitarian visa applicants, such as refugees, are excluded, but the Trump administration has terminated or is in the process of terminating most of these programs.

Furthermore, the State Department’s directive appears to go beyond the technical guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on medical criteria for immigrants to the US. This guidance includes testing for tuberculosis and syphilis, disclosure of drug use or addiction, and vaccination records.

The guidance also asks visa officers to use their own judgment to determine how much a person’s health condition might cost the US.

“Does the applicant have sufficient financial resources to cover such care costs for their expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutional care at the government’s expense?” the cable asks.

A diplomat who received the cable last week and spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media said that the State Department leadership has been very active in finding new ways to deny foreigners entry to the US or to slow down the system.