Donald Trump promises to ban overweight people from entering US as new guidelines issued

If you're planning on setting up a new life in the United States, you'd better make sure you don't pile on too many pounds over Christmas.

That's because obese foreigners could have their visa applications rejected due to the number that shows up when they step on the scales.

Bizarrely, the US State Department have reportedly declared that being overweight could be grounds for your entry into the country being denied. Those who suffer from a host of other health issues, such as cancer, diabetes, metabolic diseases and even mental health conditions, are also reportedly in the firing line.

According to the State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, it is a result of the US President 'putting the interests of the American people first'.

"This includes enforcing policies that ensure our immigration system is not a burden on the American taxpayer," he told Fox News.

The commander-in-chief has been tightening up rules surrounding immigration since returning to the White House in January.

Having certain health conditions could result in your US visa being rejected (Getty Stock Image)

A memo was sent to embassies around the world instructing visa officers to consider the well-being of individuals applying for a visa, as health is now a major factor in the approval process.

According to KFF Health News, the memo to visa officers stated: "You must consider an applicant’s health.

"Certain medical conditions - including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions - can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care."

The memo then went on to reference other conditions which officials should keep in mind when reviewing an individual's visa application, such as obesity.

It noted that having a large amount of excess body fat can cause asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure, and Donald Trump's administration has made it clear they won't be footing the bill for foreigners.

"All of these can require expensive, long-term care," the memo adds, explaining that this can cost 'hundreds of thousands of dollars'.

Visa officers have now also reportedly been tasked with finding out if applicants can stump up the costs for medical treatment without government assistance.

Overweight foreigners could be refused entry into the country as a result of the introduction of the new guidelines (Getty Stock Image)

One such question, which is said to have been included in the memo, states: "Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalisation at government expense?"

These new guidelines are supposedly going to apply to pretty much all visa applications, but lawyer Charles Wheeler reckons it will particularly impact those trying to secure permanent residency in the US.

The legal eagle, who works for the non-profit Catholic Legal Immigration Network, claimed that the update to the visa application process somewhat contradicts the State Department’s own handbook, the Foreign Affairs Manual.

This states that visa officers can't decline applicants based on 'what if' scenarios, whereas Wheeler explained they are now being told to use 'their own thoughts about what could lead to some sort of medical emergency or sort of medical costs in the future'.

"That’s troubling - they’re not medically trained, they have no experience in this area, and they shouldn’t be making projections based on their own personal knowledge or bias," he told KFF Health News.

The health status of an applicant's family members, such as their children or elderly parents, should also be considered by visa officers, the memo reportedly states.