U.S. State Department to Revoke Up to 200,000 Business and Tourist Visas Linked to Asylum Applications
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The Trump administration plans to cancel B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 for foreign nationals who have filed or are filing asylum claims, a move that could affect as many as 200,000 people and is expected to face legal challenges.
The State Department, in coordination with Homeland Security, is set to rescind business (B1) and tourism (B2) visas issued from 2016 onward for foreign nationals who have applied for asylum in the United States. Documents obtained by the Associated Press indicate the revocations could involve up to 200,000 visas and would be carried out on a rolling basis.
"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," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
The revocation would not automatically result in deportation; affected individuals would lose their nonimmigrant status but could remain in the country while their asylum cases proceed. The policy follows a series of tightened visa measures introduced since President Donald Trump began his second term, including heightened scrutiny of applicants' social-media activity and bans on visas for citizens of certain countries.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau recently warned that some travelers use tourist or business visas as a pathway to asylum, citing a specific case of a Colombian national who entered on a tourist visa in 2015 and later sought asylum.
Current B1 and B2 applicants are now required to affirm they will not pursue asylum and to demonstrate intent to return home. The State Department has previously revoked roughly 175,000 visas for individuals convicted of crimes or for political speech deemed hostile to U.S. policy. The new revocation plan is expected to be announced in the coming weeks and is likely to be challenged in court.