CITIZENS COMPASS— President of United States of America’s, Donald Trump, has reintroduced a strict visa policy that may make it more difficult for many foreign nationals, including Nigerians, to obtain entry into the country.
The revived rule, known as the “public charge” policy, targets individuals who may be considered likely to depend on public benefits after arriving in the United States.
According to a new State Department directive, American embassies and consulates around the world have been instructed to begin enforcing the policy immediately. The order brings back a Trump-era immigration standard that had been eased during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Under the rule, consular officers will now deny visas to applicants deemed at risk of relying on government aid. They will assess multiple personal factors such as health, age, financial strength, English proficiency, and long-term medical needs.
The cable emphasizes that officers must take a comprehensive view of each case. It states, “You must examine all aspects of the case, including the petition, visa application, medical report, affidavit of support, and any information uncovered in the course of screening and vetting.”
Older applicants may face tougher scrutiny, as the memo highlights that long-term medical or institutional care “can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year and should be considered.” This indicates that health and age will play a significant role in determining visa eligibility.
The reinstated policy is backed by a new executive order signed by Trump titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidisation of Open Borders.” The State Department memo says the order aims to ensure “that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.”
Each consular officer has the full discretion to determine who qualifies under the rule. The directive states, “There is no ‘bright line’ test. You must consider all aspects of the case and determine the applicant’s circumstances… suggest that he is more likely than not to become a public charge at any time.”
A senior State Department official explained, “For years, the American taxpayer was held hostage by the Biden administration’s disastrous open borders agenda… The Trump administration has brought an end to the era of mass immigration.”
While the Department of Homeland Security controls who is admitted into the U.S., the State Department is responsible for issuing visas abroad. Both agencies operate under the same immigration laws, but this latest policy grants U.S. consular officers broad authority to deny applications based on the public charge grounds.
The move reverses the Biden administration’s 2022 approach, which had limited the scope of benefits considered under the public charge rule. Biden’s version focused only on direct cash assistance and long-term institutional care, excluding other social benefits such as food stamps, Medicaid, WIC, and housing vouchers.
The Trump administration had earlier expanded the definition in 2019 to cover a wider range of government aid programs, though parts of that policy were blocked by courts before being scrapped in 2021.
This latest directive marks a full return to Trump’s broader version and instructs visa officers to “verify all supporting financial documents” submitted by applicants.
For many Nigerians applying for student, work, or family-based visas, the return of this rule could mean more denials and longer processing times—particularly for older applicants or those with limited financial capacity.
—The Cable
