The administration of Donald Trump is preparing to revoke business and tourist visas from up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied or are applying for asylum in the US. If this plan is implemented, it will be the largest mass revocation of visas in the country’s history and will likely face legal challenges.
The US State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have applied or are applying for asylum. This is evidenced by State Department documents obtained by the AP agency, as well as information from two US officials. The action will be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated that the department, together with the DHS, is identifying and revoking non-immigrant visas of foreigners who entered the US as short-term visitors but later applied for asylum to stay in the country permanently. Pigott refused to specify the exact number of visas that could be revoked, noting that this process is ongoing and the number of revocations may change.
According to officials, the revocation of visas will not necessarily mean immediate deportation. Most people with pending asylum cases are expected to retain the ability to stay in the US within the relevant procedures but will lose the status associated with a business or tourist visa. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as the decision to revoke has not yet been finalized.
Broader restrictions and H-1B visas
Since Donald Trump‘s return to the presidency last year, his administration has gradually tightened visa restrictions. Among the new requirements are the provision of more information about social media activity, the payment of significant deposits when applying for visas, as well as restrictions or bans on their issuance to citizens of certain countries. The Trump administration’s policy also covers work visas.
On Monday, the government again proposed a fee of 103,265 dollars for employers hiring foreign workers under the H-1B program. These visas are widely used by American companies to attract skilled professionals, including scientists, doctors, engineers, and software developers. The Department of Homeland Security explained the new fee as a “revenue mechanism” designed to offset the costs of administering the legal immigration system.
This initiative repeats Trump‘s attempt to introduce a fee of 100,000 dollars in September 2025. At the time, the administration justified the need for it by combating so-called “systemic abuse” of the H-1B program. However, in June, a federal judge blocked the corresponding order after a lawsuit filed by 20 Democrat-led states. The plaintiffs argued that the fee was effectively an illegal tax that bypassed the authority of Congress. While this decision is under appeal, the White House is trying to introduce the fee through another regulatory path.
Currently, the US issues about 85,000 H-1B visas per year. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also criticized on Monday people who, according to him, use tourist and business visas to enter the US and then apply for asylum. “People in the US and around the world are tired of fraudulent asylum claims,” Landau wrote on the social network X. “Asylum should not be a loophole to bypass immigration laws.”
B1 visas are usually issued for business trips, while B2 visas are for tourism, visiting relatives, or receiving medical care. It is not yet clear from the documents and statements of American officials how many holders of these visas have applied or are applying for asylum and could be affected by the new measures.
Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are asked to confirm that they do not plan to seek asylum in the US and to prove their intention to return to their country of origin. Over the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas from people convicted or accused of crimes—from drunk driving to rape and theft. Among those whose visas were revoked were also people who publicly spoke out against US policy, including regarding the Middle East.
The administration has also intensified its fight against so-called “birth tourism”—a practice in which pregnant foreign women come to the US to give birth to a child who can obtain citizenship by birthright. Trump has repeatedly tried to limit birthright citizenship, but his corresponding initiatives have been challenged in courts, including the US Supreme Court.
State Department documents obtained by AP indicate that the verification of current B1 and B2 visa holders began after the department received information from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about submitted asylum applications.
Source: La Nación
