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The United States is preparing to revoke up to 200,000 B1 and B2 visas held by foreigners who entered the country as business or tourism visitors but later applied for or are currently seeking asylum, in what could become the largest single mass visa revocation in American history.
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Being coordinated by the US Department of State and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the planned action is expected to cover B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, although the final number of affected visa holders remains fluid.
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The Trump administration says the crackdown is aimed at foreigners who allegedly used short-term visitor visas as a route to remain permanently in the United States, insisting that asylum should not be used to circumvent immigration rules.
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The revocations would not automatically mean immediate deportation for all affected foreigners. US officials said many people with pending asylum cases could instead be reclassified while losing their business or tourism visa status. The policy is nevertheless expected to trigger legal challenges.
August 26, (THEWILL) — The administration of President Donald Trump is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, a move that could represent the biggest single mass visa revocation in the country’s history.
The planned crackdown is being coordinated by the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security and is expected to target holders of B1 and B2 non-immigrant visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have subsequently sought asylum in the United States.
THEWILL reports that the proposed action emerged from State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and comments from two US officials familiar with the process.
State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, confirmed that the department was working with DHS to identify visa holders who entered the country claiming to be short-term visitors but subsequently filed asylum applications.
“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 said.
However, Pigott did not confirm that exactly 200,000 visas would be revoked, stressing that the process would be conducted on a rolling basis.
He said the number remained “dynamic” as the government continues identifying people who fall within the scope of the policy.
Who Will Be Affected?
The proposed action centres on B1 and B2 visas, which are among the most widely used US temporary visitor visas.
B1 visas are generally issued to foreigners travelling to the United States for business-related purposes, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits, medical treatment and other temporary activities.
Under the planned review, foreigners who received either category of visa between 2016 and 2026 and later applied for or are currently seeking asylum could have their visitor visas revoked.
The administration’s position is that people who obtained temporary visas by representing themselves as short-term visitors but subsequently sought to remain permanently through asylum may have violated the purpose and conditions under which the visas were granted.
Current B1 and B2 visa applicants are required to demonstrate that they intend to return to their home countries and are asked to affirm that they will not use the visa as a route to seek asylum.
The administration has characterised cases in which people allegedly obtain visitor visas with an intention to seek asylum as an abuse of the immigration system.
Despite the scale of the planned cancellations, US officials stressed that revocation of a B1 or B2 visa would not necessarily result in immediate deportation. Officials said many people whose asylum applications are already pending could be reclassified while losing their status as business or tourism visitors.
Landau Attacks ‘Bogus’ Asylum Claims
The planned revocations have been strongly defended by senior officials in the Trump administration. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticised foreigners who enter the United States on tourist or business visas and subsequently seek asylum.
“People in the U.S. and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims. Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law”, Landau wrote in a Post on X.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
