The United States Department of State is set to revoke no fewer than 200,000 visas in what could become the largest single mass revocation of visas in the country’s history.
The move, which is expected to trigger legal challenges, will target holders of business and tourism visas who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.
According to documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. officials, the Department of State will carry out the action in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
The affected visas are expected to include B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought asylum or are currently seeking asylum.
B1 visas are generally issued to foreigners travelling to the U.S. for business purposes, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical treatment.
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the U.S. claiming to be short-term visitors but filde for asylum to stay here permanently,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott was quoted as saying.
Pigott said “the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.”
However, the visa cancellations would not necessarily lead to the immediate deportation of those affected, according to U.S. officials.
The officials said most people whose asylum applications are currently pending would be recategorised but would lose their status as business or tourism travellers.
The planned revocations are the latest in a series of tougher immigration measures introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration since he returned to office for a second term in 2025.
The administration has increased scrutiny of visa applicants by demanding more information about their social media activities, requiring expensive bonds for visa processing and imposing outright visa bans on citizens of certain countries.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has also criticised foreigners who enter the United States on tourist or business visas before applying for asylum.
“People in the U.S. and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote in a social media post on Monday.
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
It remained unclear from the documents and officials’ accounts exactly how many B1 and B2 visa holders have applied for or are currently seeking asylum and would therefore be affected by the planned revocations.
Applicants for B1 and B2 visas are currently required to affirm that they will not apply for asylum in the United States and demonstrate that they intend to return to their home countries.
The latest move follows the revocation of about 175,000 visas by the State Department over the past 18 months. Those cancellations affected people convicted or accused of crimes ranging from drunken driving to rape and robbery, as well as some individuals who have publicly criticised U.S. policies, particularly those relating to the Middle East.
The Trump administration has also intensified its campaign against what it describes as “birth tourism” — a practice involving foreign pregnant women travelling to the United States to give birth so that their children can benefit from birthright citizenship.
Trump has made several attempts to end birthright citizenship, but his efforts have faced legal setbacks, with courts, including the Supreme Court, rejecting challenges to the policy.
