Breaking: US to Revoke 200,000 Visas, Lists Categories
- The Trump administration is preparing to cancel business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have filed or are filing for asylum
- The State Department is set to announce the revocations in the coming weeks, covering B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026
- A senior State Department official said the move targets people who entered the US as short-term visitors but later sought permanent residency through asylum
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The Trump administration is preparing to cancel the business and tourism visas of as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently pursuing asylum in the United States, according to State Department documents obtained by the Associated Press and two US government officials.
If carried out, the action would be the largest single mass cancellation of visas in American history and is widely expected to face legal challenges.
The State Department is set to formally announce the move in the coming weeks, covering holders of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 who have filed for asylum or have an active asylum application. The action is being coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed the plan, saying: "We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently."
Pigott declined to put a firm number on the potential cancellations, saying the total "remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis."
**What the Revocations Mean for Visa Holders**
The two officials, who spoke anonymously because the plan has not been finalised, said cancellation of a visa would not automatically trigger deportation. Most affected individuals with pending asylum cases would be reclassified but would no longer hold valid business or tourism travel status.
B1 visas cover short-term business travel, while B2 visas are issued for tourism, family visits, and medical care. People currently applying for either visa are already required to confirm they will not seek asylum in the US and must show they intend to return home.
On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau publicly criticised people who he said exploit tourist and business visas as a route into the country before filing for asylum. "People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims," Landau wrote on X. "Asylum isn't supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law." He cited a Colombian citizen who arrived on a tourist visa in 2015 and subsequently applied for asylum as an example of the practice the administration wants to stop.
**How It Fits Into Trump's Broader Immigration Crackdown**
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump's administration has tightened visa rules across several fronts, including demands for social media histories from applicants, requiring costly bonds for visa processing, and banning visa issuance altogether for citizens of certain countries.
In the 18 months leading up to this announcement, the State Department had already cancelled roughly 175,000 visas belonging to people convicted or accused of offences ranging from drunk driving to robbery and sexual violence, as well as individuals who publicly criticised US foreign policy.
The State Department documents suggest that screening of existing B1 and B2 visa holders began after the agency received asylum request data from the Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Source: Legit.ng
