The State Department announced that it will begin revoking business (B1) and tourism (B2) visas issued over the past decade for foreign nationals who have filed or are currently filing asylum applications. Officials say the effort could affect up to 200,000 visa holders, making it the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history.
How the revocation will work
According to internal State Department documents obtained by the Associated Press, the agency will identify visa holders who entered the United States on short‑term visitor visas and later sought asylum. The revocations will be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and will occur on a rolling basis, meaning the exact number of visas cancelled will remain dynamic until the process is complete.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the agency is “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.” He declined to give a precise figure, noting that the process is ongoing.
Impact on visa holders
Officials clarified that revoking a B1 or B2 visa does not automatically result in deportation. Most affected individuals will be re‑categorized, losing their status as business or tourism travelers, but they may remain in the country while their asylum cases are pending. The change, however, removes the legal basis that allowed them to travel for business or leisure.
Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are now required to affirm that they will not pursue asylum and to demonstrate an intention to return to their home countries after their visit.
Background and broader immigration policy
Since President Donald Trump began his second term in 2025, his administration has intensified scrutiny of visa applicants. Measures have included demanding detailed social‑media histories, requiring costly bonds for visa processing, and outright bans on visas for citizens of certain countries.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau recently warned that some individuals use tourist and business visas as a loophole to obtain asylum. In a post on X, he cited a case of a Colombian citizen who entered on a tourist visa in 2015 and later filed for asylum, stating, “People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims. Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
Recent visa revocations and related actions
In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked roughly 175,000 visas for individuals convicted of crimes ranging from DUI to rape, as well as for those who have publicly criticized U.S. policies, particularly regarding the Middle East.
The administration has also targeted so‑called birth‑tourism, arguing that foreign pregnant women travel to the United States to give birth so their children receive birthright citizenship. While President Trump has repeatedly sought to end birthright citizenship, courts—including the Supreme Court—have rejected those challenges.
Legal considerations
Legal experts anticipate that the mass revocation will face challenges in court, particularly on constitutional grounds related to due process and the rights of asylum seekers. The State Department’s documents indicate that screening of current B1 and B2 visa holders began after the agency received information about asylum requests from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
As the policy rolls out, affected individuals and advocacy groups are expected to file lawsuits seeking injunctions or relief, arguing that the revocations could undermine lawful immigration processes and the protections afforded to asylum seekers under both domestic law and international conventions.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
