Late on 12 November the Trump administration circulated a confidential cable instructing U.S. consulates worldwide to apply significantly stricter scrutiny to visa applicants’ health profiles and financial resources. According to a memo obtained by Chinese financial outlet Yicai, consular officers must now assess whether applicants may become a “public charge” by looking at factors such as diabetes, obesity, income levels and prior use of welfare programmes.
The directive revives—and in some areas expands—the 2020 public-charge rule that was partially shelved during the pandemic. Officers are told to weigh age, health, family size, English proficiency and job skills when determining likelihood of future benefit use. While the guidance is global, it will disproportionately affect populous sending countries, including China, whose nationals filed more than 1.2 million U.S. non-immigrant visa applications in 2024.
![Washington Tightens Health and Finance Tests for U.S. Visas—Chinese Applicants Face New Hurdles]()
Chinese students, tech workers and executives attending training in the United States should expect longer interview slots and requests for additional medical documents or proof of private insurance. Immigration lawyers warn that borderline cases—such as postgraduate students with limited funding—may now receive refusals or be forced to post sizeable financial bonds.
Corporate mobility teams should brief travellers to present robust evidence of employer support, comprehensive health coverage and adequate savings. HR departments sponsoring L-1, H-1B or B-1/B-2 applicants may also need to issue letters confirming salary continuation and emergency medical coverage during U.S. stays.
The policy shift arrives as Chinese outbound investment to the United States is recovering. Any uptick in visa refusals could push investors and conference organisers toward alternative venues such as Canada or Singapore, mobility analysts say.
The directive revives—and in some areas expands—the 2020 public-charge rule that was partially shelved during the pandemic. Officers are told to weigh age, health, family size, English proficiency and job skills when determining likelihood of future benefit use. While the guidance is global, it will disproportionately affect populous sending countries, including China, whose nationals filed more than 1.2 million U.S. non-immigrant visa applications in 2024.
Chinese students, tech workers and executives attending training in the United States should expect longer interview slots and requests for additional medical documents or proof of private insurance. Immigration lawyers warn that borderline cases—such as postgraduate students with limited funding—may now receive refusals or be forced to post sizeable financial bonds.
Corporate mobility teams should brief travellers to present robust evidence of employer support, comprehensive health coverage and adequate savings. HR departments sponsoring L-1, H-1B or B-1/B-2 applicants may also need to issue letters confirming salary continuation and emergency medical coverage during U.S. stays.
The policy shift arrives as Chinese outbound investment to the United States is recovering. Any uptick in visa refusals could push investors and conference organisers toward alternative venues such as Canada or Singapore, mobility analysts say.
