US visa crackdown: Applicants may now be denied entry under new public charge guidelines

The US authorities is continuing its wide in-migration crackdown by demanding that visa applicants stringently abide by with the “public charge” principle. Recently, a State Department cable instructed US embassies worldwide to implement new screening guidelines that would prohibit applicants with specific medical conditions from entering. Over the past year, the Donald Trump-led administration introduced a number of new charges, including a $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” that was implemented in early October.

The Trump administration could possibly deny foreign applicants for residency in the US due to “certain medical conditions,” as per new reports. On Wednesday, the cable was sent to US posts around the world. Cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders, cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders, neurological disorders, and mental health issues are all on the extensive list. According to an official cable, treatment may “require hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care.”

“Self-sufficiency has been a longstanding principle of U.S. Immigration policy and the public charge ground of inadmissibility has been a part of our immigration law for more than 100 years,” as per a document cited by Fox News.

Additionally, the guidelines advised consular officials to consider previous usage of government assistance when denying visas to individuals who are thought to be likely to depend on public services. The US Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services has been requested to take into account the applicant's age, health, family status, assets, resources, financial situation, and level of education and expertise.

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The “public charge” clause is a component of long-standing immigration regulations that bar those who are believed to most likely need government assistance.

While it was not strictly implemented during the previous Joe Biden administration, it is not a new regulation. Now, a stricter interpretation has been chosen by the Trump administration.

For more than a century, US immigration law has included the public charge ground of inadmissibility. “An alien who is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible and ineligible for a visa, admission to the United States, or for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident,” as per an earlier notice.

The US Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in a September policy document that immigration officers lacked a “bright-line” methodology to assess the inadmissibility of a public claim. Evaluation is based on the consular officer's subjective judgment as well as the “totality of the alien's circumstances.”

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