Got diabetes or obesity? It could now cost you a US visa

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Weeks after hiking the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, the US might now reject visa applications if they have health conditions such as diabetes or obesity, according to a government directive issued by the Trump administration on Thursday.

The guidelines were issued by the State Department, which says that people with issues could become a "public charge" and potentially drain the US resources. The guidelines were sent through cable to American embassies and consulates, reported KFF Health News, based in Washington.

The report said that the guidance directed visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the US for several new reasons, including age and health grounds such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions.

The visa officers have also been encouraged to consider other conditions, like obesity — which can cause asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure, in their assessment of whether an immigrant could become a public charge and therefore should be denied entry into the US.

All these chronic illnesses are now being assessed as potential indicators that an individual might become a future financial burden on United States.

While screening for communicable diseases, checking vaccination history, infectious diseases and mental health conditions have always been part of the visa application process; the new guidelines add new medical conditions to be considered.

The policy shift, revealed on Thursday, is one of the most aggressive moves in the administration's broader immigration crackdown, effectively linking an applicant's health status to their eligibility for entry.

However, it was not immediately clear if the directive applies to tourist and student visas.