Trump’s new guidelines: US Visa applications may be rejected due to health issues.
A new guideline published on Thursday identified long-term physical illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease as reasons for visa cancellation.
The Trump Administration has introduced strict health screening for people seeking a visa to live in the United States.
Applicants with certain health conditions may be denied visas under new guidelines released on Thursday. Long-term physical ailments such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease have been identified as reasons for visa cancellation.
Under the new guidelines, US Embassy and Consulate officials will be able to consider applicants as “Public Charges” based on their age or likelihood of relying on the country’s public assistance in the future.
This means that if applicants, due to health problems or age, are deemed to be a burden on US resources, their visa application will be rejected.
While health screening of potential immigrants is an old part of the visa process—such as testing for the infectious disease tuberculosis or collecting vaccine histories—the new guidelines greatly expand the range of medical conditions that will be taken into account. At the same time, the power of visa officers to make decisions based on the applicant’s health status has also been greatly increased.
The new guidelines are part of the Trump Administration’s controversial and tougher immigration policies. Its main goal is to deport people living in the United States illegally and make the immigration process as difficult as possible for others.
The White House’s crackdown includes daily mass arrests, a ban on refugee entry from certain countries, and plans to severely limit overall immigration numbers.
Charles Wheeler, senior attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, said the directive applies to almost all visa applicants who wish to live permanently in the United States and will be strictly enforced in their case.
As the guidelines state, visa officers must consider the applicant’s health. Cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes, metabolic disease, neurological problems, and various mental health conditions – which can cost thousands of dollars to treat – can all now be grounds for visa cancellation.
Note that about 10% of people in the world are affected by Diabetes. Similarly, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the guidelines, individuals with these health problems may be considered a “Public Charge” and used as grounds for denying entry to the United States.
According to the new guidelines, visa officers must verify that the applicant has the financial capacity to cover the full cost of treatment without government assistance.
The guidelines read, “Does the applicant have sufficient financial resources to cover the cost of medical care throughout his life without government assistance or long-term government institutional care?”
Lawyer Charles Wheeler believes the language of the directive conflicts with the State Department’s own Foreign Affairs Manual. The manual states that visa applications cannot be rejected based on “what might happen” assumptions.
Wheeler added, “This is very worrying, because visa officers are not trained in medicine, they have no experience in this field. They should not make assumptions based on personal knowledge or bias.”
Another important point is mentioned in the guidelines. Visa officers must also consider the health of the applicant’s family, especially children or elderly parents. The question asked, “Does any dependent have a disability, long-term medical need, or other special need that would prevent the applicant from continuing his or her employment?”
Earlier, the immigration aspirants used to undergo medical examination through an authorized doctor. Screening for infectious diseases, there, had to disclose a history of past drug or alcohol use, mental health problems, or violence. Vaccination against certain diseases was also mandatory.
But the new guidelines call for special attention to Chronic or long-term diseases is feared this increase the complexity for millions of potential migrants around the world.
