• Posted November 14, 2025

Trump Administration Expands Visa Denials to Include Common Chronic Illnesses

The Trump administration has directed U.S. visa officers to consider chronic health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health disorders when deciding whether to approve a foreigner’s entry into the country.

The directive was shared with U.S. embassies and consulates in a Nov. 6 cable from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a copy reviewed by The Washington Post.

The new policy goes beyond checking only for certain diseases and now allows visa officers to deny applications if they think a person’s health problems could lead to high medical costs in the U.S.

“You must consider an applicant’s health,” the cable said.

“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,” it added.

The cable lists obesity as a factor that may influence visa decisions, pointing out that it can be linked to sleep apnea, high blood pressure and depression.

What's more, “this guidance gives consular officers wide discretion to deny both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas based on common health conditions that, by themselves, have never been treated as disqualifying,” Vic Goel, an immigration attorney in Virginia, told The Post.

A White House spokesperson defended the change.

“For 100 years, State Department policy has included an authority to deny visa applicants who would pose a financial burden to taxpayers, such as individuals who were seeking publicly-funded health care in the U.S. and could further drain health care resources from American citizens," deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said.

Globally, about 16% of adults were living with obesity in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Another 14% had diabetes.

The directive also tells officers to consider an applicant’s age, number of dependents and whether any family members have disabilities or special needs.

While refugees and some humanitarians are exempt, many of those programs have been ended by the president.

Former U.S. immigration officers warn that the new guidelines could make it easier for officers to deny visas based on their own judgment.

It gives them “more reasons not to have to issue a visa," Steven Heller, an immigration attorney in the U.K., told The Post.

The cable also suggests that officers estimate what a person’s medical care might cost over their lifetime.

“Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at government expense?” the cable says.

More information

The U.S. Department of State has more on the immigrant visa process.

SOURCE: The Washington Post, Nov. 13, 2025