Overview
- An internal memo instructs all U.S. embassies and consulates to consider applicants’ health status when deciding visas, citing obesity and related chronic diseases.
- Officers are told to assess whether an applicant can cover expected lifetime medical expenses without public assistance, effectively favoring those with substantial private means.
- The guidance expands medical scrutiny beyond communicable diseases, listing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, diabetes, cancer, neurological and mental health disorders.
- Immigration lawyers, including Sophia Genovese, warn the policy is overly broad and could create significant problems during consular interviews.
- Which visa categories will be affected remains unclear, with some attorneys saying it may be applied chiefly to people seeking permanent residence as implementation details are worked out.