Washington: The United States is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the country, according to the Associated Press.
The planned action, which could be announced within the coming weeks, would target holders of B1 and B2 nonimmigrant visas issued between 2016 and 2026 who have filed or are seeking to file asylum claims. The State Department is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify visa holders affected by the measure.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the administration is seeking to revoke visas belonging to people who entered the US as short-term visitors but later applied for asylum to remain in the country. If implemented, the move could represent the largest single mass revocation of US visas in the country’s history.
People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims. Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws; rather, it’s supposed to provide a narrow safe harbor for persons persecuted because of their “race, religion, nationality,… pic.twitter.com/fNHbj1SsIX
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) August 24, 2026
However, the visa cancellations would not automatically result in deportation. According to officials cited by the AP, most individuals with pending asylum applications would be moved into another immigration category while their cases continue to be processed.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also criticised the use of tourist and business visas by people who later seek asylum. In a post on X, he said asylum should not be used as a way to bypass US immigration laws.
The potential visa revocations come as the administration of President Donald Trump continues to tighten US immigration and visa policies. Since Trump returned to office for his second term, the State Department has introduced additional scrutiny for visa applicants, including greater examination of social media activity and visa bond requirements.
The department has also imposed visa restrictions on citizens of certain countries and revoked approximately 175,000 visas over the past 18 months, according to the AP. Those cases involved people accused or convicted of offences including drunk driving, rape and robbery, as well as individuals who publicly opposed certain US policies.
The latest proposal would mark another significant expansion of the administration’s efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement and restrict the use of temporary visas by people seeking to remain permanently in the United States.
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