The Trump administration may soon deny visas to immigrants with diabetes or obesity, following its controversial hike of the H-1B visa fee to $100,000.
While there has been no official public announcement, a State Department guidance memo, obtained by KFF Health News, outlines potential grounds for visa rejection.
The guidance instructs visa officers to consider health conditions—including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, metabolic, and mental health disorders—when evaluating applicants.
Officers are also encouraged to factor in obesity, citing its link to conditions like asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure, to determine whether a visa applicant could become a public charge.
Moreover, applicants must demonstrate adequate financial resources to cover long-term medical care without relying on government assistance. The memo emphasizes evaluating whether an immigrant can manage healthcare costs “over their expected lifespan” independently.
Earlier, the Department of Labor has launched 175 investigations into potential H-1B visa abuses, part of its “Project Firewall” initiative, introduced after the visa fee increase. The administration also recently ended automatic work permit extensions for foreign non-immigrant workers, a move expected to significantly impact Indian applicants.
