- The Trump administration may revoke up to 200,000 visas from visitors who later applied for asylum.
- The review targets B-1 and B-2 visas issued between twenty sixteen and twenty twenty-six.
- Officials say the process will be rolling and ongoing, not a single-day cancellation.
The Trump administration is preparing to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourism visas held by foreigners who entered the United States as visitors and later applied for asylum. The move could become the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
The visas at issue are B-1 and B-2 visas. The proposed action would cover people who applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States after entering for business or tourism.
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State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the agency was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify the affected visa holders.
“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.”
September 2026 Final Action Dates
India China ROW EB-1 Oct 15, 2022 Jul 01, 2023 Current EB-2 Unavailable Sep 01, 2021 Current EB-3 Jan 01, 2014 Jan 01, 2022 Sep 01, 2024 F-1 Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d F-2A Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d
The plan emerged August 24, 2026. Officials have described the targeted conduct as an abuse of temporary visitor classifications.
Pigott said the review would continue over time rather than occur in one batch.
“as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.”
A visa cancellation would not automatically produce immediate deportation. People with pending asylum cases would instead lose their business or tourist classification and be recategorized under the government’s process.
The proposed scale would probably draw lawsuits. The revocation of a visa and the outcome of an asylum application are separate matters, although losing visitor status could alter the immigration position of people whose protection claims remain pending.
The proposed review covers a decade of visitor visas
The administration’s planned review has three defined elements: the visa category, the issuance period and the agencies conducting the work.
| Element | Proposed scope |
|---|---|
| Visa categories | B1 and B2 |
| Issuance period | 2016 to 2026 |
| Agencies involved | State Department and Department of Homeland Security |
| People under review | Visitors who later applied for or are seeking asylum |
The target group includes foreign nationals who entered as temporary visitors and then sought permission to remain permanently through asylum proceedings. The process is not limited to people whose asylum cases have been decided.
Officials have not described the revocations as a single-day cancellation. The rolling approach leaves the total subject to change as the agencies identify additional cases.
Officials point to earlier visa cancellations
The State Department said earlier in August that the Trump administration had already revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals. That figure covers prior action and is separate from the proposed review of visitor visas tied to asylum filings.
The department has framed the new effort as a fraud-prevention measure. Its stated focus is people who presented themselves as short-term visitors but later filed for asylum to stay in the country permanently.
The administration is coordinating the work across the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. That division places visa action and immigration enforcement within the same review.
Pending asylum applicants could therefore face a changed immigration status even when their protection claims continue. The proposed cancellations do not, by themselves, establish that an applicant will be deported immediately.
The agencies plan to proceed on a rolling basis, with the number of cancellations remaining subject to revision as the review advances.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
