Overweight Foreigners to be BANNED from the US

The United States has introduced new immigration rules allowing visa applications to be denied on health grounds if applicants are considered likely to generate significant medical costs for the public.

Under the directive issued by the State Department, consular officers now have expanded authority to reject applicants with chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, sleep apnoea, or certain mental illnesses. Officials must assess whether applicants have sufficient financial resources to cover ongoing treatment without depending on public healthcare or assistance.

The guidance, obtained by KFF Health News, emphasises concerns about the financial impact of long-term care, including nursing home services that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Consular staff are instructed to evaluate whether applicants, particularly older individuals, can demonstrate long-term financial independence. 

Officials noted that the principle of self-sufficiency has been part of US immigration law for more than a century. The announcement coincided with President Donald Trump’s unveiling of a deal to lower prices for weight-loss medications, including GLP-1 therapies made by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. 

The agreement will reduce the cost of oral versions to $150 per month for initial doses, while injectable forms are expected to drop from $350 to $245 per month within two years. The treatments will be sold through TrumpRx, a new online platform that offers prescription drugs directly from manufacturers.