Visa rules in America have now become more stringent. The Trump administration has issued a new guideline, according to which if a foreign citizen has diabetes, obesity, heart disease or other serious health problems, then he can be refused a visa. According to this instruction issued by the US State Department, such people can become a ‘public charge’ for America in the future, that is, they can put a burden on government resources.

Many serious diseases were included in the new guidelines
It has been said in the guideline that now in the visa process, not only infectious diseases or vaccination will be examined, but many non-infectious diseases will also be looked at seriously. This includes heart diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, metabolic and neurological diseases and mental health conditions. It is written in the guidelines that the treatment of these diseases can be very expensive, which can make the applicant a ‘public charge’.

Visa officer will ask these questions
The instructions said that the visa officers will also check whether the applicants are capable of getting their illness treated without government assistance or not. They will also be asked whether they will be able to bear the expenses of treatment for their entire life or will be dependent on government institutions. The same questions will apply to the health of family members such as children or elderly parents.

Experts expressed concern
Many immigration experts have expressed concern that it is not appropriate to have medical competency assessments conducted by visa officers, who do not have medical training. Experts say that officials may take wrong decisions due to personal beliefs or prejudices.

Green card applicants will be more affected
Although the guideline is applicable to all types of visas, legal experts believe that it will have the biggest impact on green card or permanent residence applicants, because they have to stay in the US for a longer period and the medical evaluation is done more strictly.