Overview
- Reports say the internal guidance, now circulating to embassies and consulates, directs officers to assess health beyond communicable diseases when deciding visa eligibility.
- Diabetes and obesity are explicitly cited as conditions that could weigh against applicants if judged likely to generate ongoing, high medical costs.
- The change is aimed at immigrant and long‑duration visa categories and extends to the health profiles of dependents when evaluating possible financial burden.
- The directive was not issued through Federal Register rulemaking, leaving unclear how applicants can demonstrate they will not be a public charge or whether private insurance or documented solvency will suffice.
- Consular denials carry no routine appeal, and immigration attorneys warn of broad officer discretion and potential federal lawsuits challenging arbitrary criteria.