Trump administration directs officers to deny US visas to foreigners with medical conditions such as…

The Trump administration has issued new guidance instructing US visa officers to reject foreigners seeking to live in the US if they have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, CBS News reports.

The directive, sent to embassies and consulates by the U.S. State Department on Thursday and reviewed by KFF Health News, instructs officials to consider applicants ineligible if their health or age makes them a potential “public charge,” meaning someone who could rely on public benefits or pose a financial burden to the United States.

“You must take into account the applicant’s health,” the advisory states. “Certain medical conditions, including but not limited to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health problems, may require hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of care,” CBS News reported.

The guidance expands the list of health factors used in assessing visa applicants and gives visa officers greater power to reject people based on their medical condition. Experts said this marked a significant shift from previous practices that focused mainly on infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and vaccination records.

According to the directive sent to embassies, visa officers are encouraged to consider obesity, which can cause asthma, sleep apnea and high blood pressure, when determining whether an immigrant may become a public figure. “These can all require expensive, long-term maintenance,” he says.

Approximately 10 percent of the world’s population has diabetes, while cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally.

The guidance also instructs visa officers to assess an applicant’s ability to pay for medical treatment. “Does the applicant have sufficient financial resources to cover the costs of such care during his or her expected lifetime without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at state expense?” reader.

A State Department spokesman has not yet commented on the directive.

The new rules also allow officers to take into account the health of an applicant’s family members. “Do any of the people in care have a disability, chronic medical condition, or other special needs and do the applicant need care so much that they cannot maintain employment?” According to CBS News, the state department directive is as follows:

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)