An IMGlobalWealth.news Report
The Trump administration is preparing what could become the largest single mass visa revocation in US history, targeting business and tourist visas held by foreigners who subsequently applied for asylum.
“the State Department said it had already revoked more than 175,000 visas under President Donald Trump, (…) That figure includes revocations for offences ranging from drink-driving and theft to assault and drug crimes”
The State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify holders of B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas who entered the United States as temporary visitors before seeking asylum. According to State Department documents and officials cited by the Associated Press, as many as 200,000 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 could ultimately be revoked.
The final number, however, has not been confirmed by the government. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the figure would remain dynamic as cases were reviewed on a rolling basis.
The distinction matters. A visa allows a foreign national to seek admission to the United States; it is not, by itself, an asylum entitlement. Revoking a visitor visa would therefore not automatically terminate a pending asylum case or necessarily trigger immediate deportation. AP reported that many affected applicants would instead be reclassified while their asylum proceedings continued.
USCIS guidance states that a person physically present in the United States may generally seek asylum regardless of immigration status, normally provided an application is filed within one year of arrival unless an exception applies.
The planned action nevertheless represents another substantial tightening of America’s legal immigration system. Earlier in August, the State Department said it had already revoked more than 175,000 visas under President Donald Trump, mainly following law-enforcement encounters or alleged visa violations, fraud and national-security concerns. That figure includes revocations for offences ranging from drink-driving and theft to assault and drug crimes.
Washington has also expanded scrutiny of applicants’ online activity. Since March, additional categories of non-immigrant visa applicants have been required to make social-media profiles public for government vetting.
The administration argues that people admitted temporarily for tourism or business should not use those visas as a route to permanent residence through what officials describe as unfounded asylum claims.
But the measure is likely to face legal scrutiny. The central question will be whether the executive branch can systematically revoke visas on the basis of an asylum application when federal law expressly permits people to seek asylum regardless of their underlying immigration status.
