U.S. set to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourist visas
The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourist visas of up to 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, according to U.S. officials and State Department documents obtained by the Associated Press.
If implemented, the move would represent the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history. The State Department is expected to begin the revocations in the coming weeks in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
The planned action targets B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who entered the United States as short-term business or tourism visitors and subsequently filed for asylum. B1 visas are generally issued for business travel, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and certain medical trips.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the government was working with DHS to identify and revoke visas held by foreigners who entered the country claiming to be short-term visitors but later sought asylum to remain permanently.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the planned action, arguing that asylum should not be used as a way to circumvent U.S. immigration rules. The administration has made combating what it considers fraudulent or abusive asylum claims a central part of its wider immigration crackdown.
Officials stressed that losing a B1 or B2 visa would not necessarily result in immediate deportation. People with pending asylum cases could instead be reclassified under their existing immigration proceedings, while losing their status as business or tourism visitors.
The exact number of visas to be revoked remains uncertain. The State Department said the process would be ongoing and carried out on a rolling basis, meaning the final figure could be lower than the estimated 200,000.
The planned revocations are part of a broader expansion of visa enforcement under the Trump administration. The State Department says it has already revoked about 175,000 visas over the past 18 months for reasons including criminal conduct, violations and national-security concerns.
The proposed mass cancellation is likely to face legal challenges, particularly over the government’s authority to revoke visas on such a large scale and its treatment of people who have exercised their right to seek asylum.
The administration has not yet announced a final date for the mass revocations, and the policy could still be challenged or revised before implementation.
