What’s Happening

Recent media reporting indicates that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued internal guidance instructing consular officers to place greater emphasis on an applicant’s health when evaluating potential “public charge” concerns, which may deem them ineligible for a visa. A wider range of chronic, non-communicable, and long-term medical conditions may now factor into visa decisions, particularly in the immigrant visa process.

“Public charge” is a U.S. immigration term used to describe someone who is likely to depend mainly on government assistance for income or long-term care and serves as a ground of inadmissibility that immigration officials may rely upon when deciding to approve or deny certain immigration benefits.