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Now health conditions like diabetes, obesity or heart disease can become a hindrance in getting a visa to America. The Trump administration has issued a new policy making health assessment mandatory in visa checks. Experts are considering this step as ‘harsh and discriminatory’, which may increase difficulties for many applicants.
New Delhi. US President Donald Trump has made a major change in the visa process and said that now foreign citizens suffering from diabetes, obesity or heart diseases can be denied visas. Under the new policy of the Trump administration, such applicants will be considered ‘public charge’ i.e. dependent on American resources, due to which their entry will be stopped. These guidelines have been sent to American embassies and consulates.
Medical examination will increase under ‘public charge’ policy
According to the new guidelines, now visa officers will have to fully evaluate the health, age and financial condition of the applicant. In this, special attention will be given to conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, neurological and mental diseases. The policy states that treatment for such diseases can cost ‘millions of dollars’, so it will be decided whether the applicant has the personal resources to cover such expenses.
Experts expressed concern, said- ‘Visa officers are not doctors’
Many legal experts and immigration lawyers have objected to this move. He says that visa officers are not medical experts, yet they are being given the right to conduct serious health assessments. According to Sophia Genovese, a lawyer at Georgetown University, ‘for the first time, health history is being included so extensively in visa decisions.’ Charles Wheeler, senior lawyer at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, said that ‘such decisions can lead to bias and miscalculation.’
Steps towards further tightening the immigration policy
This decision is part of the broader policy of the Trump administration, under which immigration into America is being limited. Even before this, the government had taken steps like ban on refugees and reduction in legal migration. Experts say that this new rule will not only make immigration more difficult, but will also make the American dream further away for millions of potential applicants from around the world.
