New U.S. Visa Regulations: Obesity and Chronic Diseases Included in Screening | WPN World People News

The U.S. visa review process is set to tighten again. On November 6, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive to U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, instructing visa officers to consider chronic conditions such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes when evaluating visa applications. These conditions could even become grounds for visa denial. The new rules also require officials to assess factors such as whether the applicant is of retirement age, the number of dependents (such as children or elderly parents), and whether those dependents have "special needs" or physical or mental disabilities, raising concerns internationally.

This policy significantly expands the scope of medical examinations, which were previously limited to infectious diseases, and gives visa officers more discretion in rejecting applicants based on their health status. The new guidelines also instruct visa officers to evaluate the potential economic burden that an applicant’s medical condition could impose on the U.S. The rules apply to both temporary visas (e.g., H-1B) and immigrant visa applications for permanent residency, but some humanitarian visas, such as those for refugees, are exempt. Immigration lawyers are concerned that this new policy will make common chronic diseases a reason for visa denial, broadening the impact beyond previous regulations.

The State Department stated on the 13th that this measure, initiated during the Trump administration, aims to prevent the immigration system from becoming a burden on taxpayers. An anonymous State Department official revealed that the directive was drafted by political appointees and did not go through the usual review process nor seek input from career diplomats. A diplomat who received the directive told *The Washington Post* that State Department leadership has been actively seeking new ways to prevent foreign nationals from entering the U.S. or to slow down the entry process.