Overview
- An internal notice reported to be signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructs consular officers to consider applicants' health conditions and ability to pay for long‑term care when adjudicating immigrant visas.
- The guidance lists cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic and mental or neurological disorders, and explicitly obesity, as potential grounds to deny a permanent visa.
- Consular staff are directed to review assets, income and health coverage, including for retirees, with the directive noting some chronic illnesses can generate lifetime costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- The policy is not formally in force, yet multiple consulates are reportedly testing the approach, raising concerns about uneven application and non‑medical officers judging complex health issues.
- Human‑rights and legal experts warn of discrimination based on health or weight, while State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott defends the focus on preventing burdens on taxpayers as part of a broader tightening of legal immigration.