The US plans to revoke business and tourism visas for 200 thousand foreigners who subsequently applied for asylum. Once approved, it would be the largest single visa revocation in the country’s history, reports the Associated Press, quoted by IPN.
The spokesperson for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, stated that the institution is collaborating with the Department for Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of individuals who entered the USA declaring themselves short-term tourists, but subsequently applied for asylum. The exact number of revoked visas has not been confirmed, and the process is set to unfold gradually.
In the following weeks, the State Department is set to announce the cancellation of B1 and B2 visas, issued between 2016 and 2026, for those who have applied or are applying for asylum, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. B1 visas are intended for business travel, while B2 visas are for tourism, family visits, or medical treatments.
Revocation does not automatically lead to deportation, but those with ongoing asylum cases will lose their visitor status. The measure is part of the Trump administration’s campaign to restrict immigration, which has also imposed the verification of applicants’ social media activity and costly financial guarantees. Also, in January 2026, the federal government had suspended the issuance of immigration visas for citizens of 75 countries, a measure that was recently overturned by the judiciary.
