Rule change makes immigrant visas far harder to obtain

The narrative of those opposing asylum seekers is that they should enter the US “the right way.” But a little-known change in the State Department foreign-affairs manual is giving diplomats wide discretion in deciding visa denials on the grounds that applicants may become a drain on US resources, a so-called “public charge” denial. The change in the manual means the State Department avoided going through a rulemaking process, with its attendant public comment. With the manual changes in January 2018, denials of visa applications have quadrupled over the previous fiscal year.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-visas-insight-idUSKCN1RR0UX