Trump gov’t directs visa officers to consider obesity, diabetes in denials: report

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Trump gov’t directs visa officers to consider obesity, diabetes in denials: report​

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to journalists at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport after the G7 foreign ministers meeting, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap
By Yonhap

• Published Nov 14, 2025 3:44 am KST
• Updated Nov 14, 2025 3:51 am KST

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told overseas diplomatic missions that the United States will consider obesity, diabetes, cancer and other health conditions as grounds to deny visas, a report said Thursday, as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to reduce immigration.

Citing a Nov. 6 State Department cable, The Washington Post reported that Rubio told U.S. consulates and embassies about the directive -- a move expected to toughen screening procedures for visa applicants, including South Koreans looking to emigrate to the U.S.

The directive was issued under the "public charge" rule — a U.S. immigration law under which visas or green cards can be denied if an applicant is expected to become primarily dependent on the U.S. government for subsistence.

"You must consider an applicant's health," the cable read, according to the newspaper.

"Certain medical conditions — including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions — can require hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care."

It also suggested that visa officers consider obesity when deciding whether to issue visas, saying that it can cause sleep apnea, high blood pressure and clinical depression, the daily said.

The department's guidance also calls on visa officers to consider applicants as ineligible for entry into the U.S. for other reasons, including whether they are beyond retirement age and how many dependents, such as children or elderly parents, they have, among other factors.

Asked to confirm the reported cable, Tommy Pigott, the State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, said that it is "no secret" that the Trump administration is "putting the interests of the American people first."

"This includes enforcing policies that ensure our immigration system is not a burden on the American taxpayer," he said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.

Under Trump's "America First" policy, his administration has moved to toughen immigration rules and tightened border security, while vowing to reduce any waste of taxpayers' money.