US May Deny Visas to Foreigners with Diabetes or Obesity

The United States government has quietly issued new visa-screening guidance that could see foreign nationals barred from entry if they suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease or neurological disorders. 

Traditionally, US visa health checks focused on communicable diseases and required vaccinations. Now, under the new directive, consular officers have been instructed to evaluate an applicant’s long-term medical needs and their potential to become a “public charge” due to expensive ongoing care. 

What does this mean in practice? If a visa applicant is found to have a condition that may require extensive care, or lacks solid financial resources to pay for such care in the US system, their chances of being denied increase. The cable, reviewed by KFF Health News, specifically mentions diabetes and obesity among the flagged conditions. 

Critics say the move gives wide latitude to visa officers many of whom are not medical experts to make subjective judgments about a person’s future health costs. That, they argue, could lead to unfair rejections, particularly for people from countries where access to healthcare is limited or medical records are incomplete. 

For those planning to apply for US visas, the change raises fresh concerns. It means that not only must applicants meet financial and background criteria, but they may also need to demonstrate good health or strong medical support arrangements. In other words, being fit may now matter more than ever.

Beyond individual applicants, the policy marks a shift in immigration framing: health is increasingly being treated as a factor in entry eligibility, not just for public-health risk, but for projected cost and resource burden. Advocates warn this could blur humanitarian and economic standards in visa decisions.

In sum: If you’re looking to move to the US, and you’re living with a chronic condition like diabetes or obesity you may now face more scrutiny than before. The message from the US government: health matters. And for some applicants, it could be the difference between acceptance and refusal.