The United States is reportedly planning to revoke hundreds of thousands of visas, the largest such revocation in U.S. history.
The plan was revealed to the Associated Press by two U.S. officials and outlined in documents viewed by the outlet. The plan targets holders of B1 visas, a business visa, and B2 visas, the tourism visa, who then applied for asylum. The Trump administration has already revoked around 175,000 visas over criminal activity, meaning this move would double the number of visas revoked since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
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The administration’s gripe with many B1 and B2 visa holders is that they arrive in the U.S. under the temporary visa, then claim asylum to stay. A State Department spokesman said as much when questioned by the Associated Press, also not denying the plans for the mass revocation.
“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 in a statement.
The officials speaking with the outlet said the move would be coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security. The sweeping operation would attempt to identify perceived bogus claims of asylum from holders who had first entered the country under the B1 and B2 visa by matching visa records with asylum applications, the International Business Times reported.
The visa revocation wouldn’t trigger immediate deportation or even invalidate their asylum claim if it was being processed, but would heavily incentivize them to leave the U.S.
As with many of the Trump administration’s moves aiming to restrict immigration, the plan is almost certain to be hit with heavy legal challenges from activists. The planned operation isn’t the latest move targeting foreigners staying in the U.S. on visas either.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES $103,000 H-1B VISA FEE
Also on Monday, the Washington Post revealed that the Trump administration was seeking a new $103,265 fee for employers hiring skilled foreign workers through the H-1B visa program.
Wary that a near-identical effort from Trump last year was shot down in the courts, this new move justified itself by using the proposed fees to contribute toward the legal immigration system, providing $3 billion annually, including $1 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
