US Plans Mass Visa Revocation For Up To 200,000 Asylum Seekers

The United States government 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.

The move, if implemented, would amount to the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The State Department is expected to announce the action in the coming weeks in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The proposed measure would target holders of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 who have sought asylum or currently have asylum applications pending.

B1 and B2 visas are generally issued to foreigners travelling to the United States for business, tourism, family visits or medical treatment.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed that the administration was working with DHS to identify visa holders who entered the country as short-term visitors before applying for asylum.

“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.

He, however, declined to provide a specific number of people who could be affected, saying the figure “remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.”

According to officials cited by AP, the revocation would not automatically result in deportation.

Instead, most people with pending asylum applications would be moved into another immigration category, effectively ending their status as business or tourist visitors while their asylum cases are considered.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticised foreigners who use business or tourist visas before seeking asylum in the United States.

“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 added.

Landau also alleged that the US immigration system had “long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims” and cited the case of a Colombian national who entered the country on a tourist visa in 2015 before applying for asylum.

Applicants for B1 and B2 visas are required to affirm that they do not intend to seek asylum and must demonstrate an intention to return to their home countries.

However, it remains unclear how many current B1 and B2 visa holders have filed asylum applications.

The proposed mass revocation is the latest in a series of immigration restrictions introduced under President Donald Trump’s second administration.

The administration has expanded social media screening for visa applicants, introduced new visa bond requirements and restricted visa issuance to citizens of certain countries.

The State Department said it had revoked about 175,000 visas over the past 18 months, citing reasons including criminal convictions and accusations involving offences such as drunk driving, rape and robbery.

The administration has also revoked visas in some cases involving people who publicly criticised US policies, particularly regarding the Middle East.

Rights groups have criticised the broader immigration crackdown, arguing that some measures threaten due process and free speech rights and could expose ethnic minorities to racial profiling.

The Trump administration has defended the measures as necessary to strengthen national security and tighten immigration enforcement.