US To Deny Visas To Applicants With Diabetes, Heart Disease And Other Chronic Illnesses

Last Updated:November 08, 2025, 07:15 IST

The US government plans a new visa policy targeting chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

The US government plans a new visa policy targeting chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. (Image: Representative)

The US government is preparing to roll out a controversial policy that could deny visas to foreign nationals suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other long-term illnesses.

According to reports citing a directive sent by the US State Department to US embassies and consulates, visa officers will now be asked to factor in not just communicable diseases and vaccinations, which have long been part of immigration screening, but also non-communicable conditions when evaluating applicants.

Under the new guidance, conditions explicitly named for review include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, metabolic disorders, obesity, neurological ailments, and certain mental-health conditions. The directive notes that such illnesses can “require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care" over time.

Visa officers will be instructed to ask whether:

• the applicant (or any dependents) has chronic or costly medical conditions;
• The applicant has sufficient financial resources to cover expected medical care and will not become a “public charge" (i.e., rely on state support) during their stay.
• Any dependents (children, elderly parents, etc) of the applicant have disabilities or chronic illnesses that may prevent the applicant from maintaining employment.

Although the directive technically applies to all visa categories, immigration-law experts say it is likely to be most impactful for those seeking permanent residency (green cards) or long-term stays rather than short-term tourist or business visas.

The policy marks a significant broadening of what “health screening" means in the visa process. Previously, the focus was largely on communicable diseases (like tuberculosis), vaccination status, and criminal/health disclosures. Now, officers are being asked to anticipate future healthcare costs and assess medical risk, which has prompted criticism.

Critics argue that the policy is discriminatory because it places disproportionate burdens on applicants with pre-existing medical conditions and could particularly affect people from developing countries, where chronic diseases are more common. Legal-aid groups also caution that visa officers are not medical professionals, and the directive forces them to make speculative judgments about an applicant’s future health and cost burden.

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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