The Donald Trump administration is preparing one of its major actions against the US nonimmigrant visa system, with up to 200,000 B1 and B2 visas potentially facing revocation. According to US government documents and officials, the proposed action would focus on foreign nationals who entered the United States on short-term business or tourism visas and later applied for asylum or currently have asylum proceedings pending.
The US State Department is expected to announce the plan in the coming weeks. However, officials have indicated that the final number has not been determined and could change as individual cases are reviewed. The proposal could also be affected by legal challenges or changes in the administration’s policy.
State Department and DHS to Identify Visa Holders
The US State Department has said it is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify foreign nationals who entered the United States as short-term visitors but later filed asylum claims seeking to remain in the country.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the visa revocation process would be conducted on a rolling basis. He did not confirm the estimate of up to 200,000 visa cancellations, saying the number could change as the review progresses.
B1 visas are generally issued for business travel, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical treatment. The proposed action could therefore affect people who initially entered the United States legally for temporary travel purposes but later sought protection through the asylum system.
Visa Revocation Would Not Mean Immediate Deportation
An important aspect of the proposed action is that visa cancellation would not automatically result in immediate deportation.
US officials said individuals with pending asylum cases could continue pursuing their asylum claims. However, they could lose the business or tourism visitor status associated with their B1 or B2 visas.
This distinction is important because visa status and asylum proceedings are separate aspects of the US immigration system. The proposed action would primarily affect the nonimmigrant visa status of individuals covered by the review.
It remains unclear how many current and former B1-B2 visa holders who received visas between 2016 and 2026 have applied for asylum and how many would ultimately be affected.
Part of Trump Administration’s Broader Immigration Policy
The proposal comes amid the Trump administration’s wider immigration and visa enforcement efforts. Since Donald Trump began his second term, the administration has increased scrutiny of visa applicants and foreign nationals.
Measures have included greater examination of applicants’ social media activity, visa bond requirements in certain cases and restrictions on visa issuance for citizens of some countries.
The latest proposal indicates that the administration is also focusing on individuals who entered the United States legally on temporary visas but later sought to remain in the country through asylum proceedings.
Nearly 175,000 Visas Already Revoked
According to the report, the Trump administration has already revoked approximately 175,000 visas over the past 18 months.
The cancellations have included visas held by people convicted or accused of offences such as drunk driving, rape and robbery, as well as some individuals who publicly opposed US policies.
If the administration proceeds with the proposed cancellation of up to 200,000 additional visas, the move could become one of the largest mass visa revocation exercises in US history.
Final Number Yet to Be Confirmed
The US State Department has not formally confirmed that exactly 200,000 visas will be revoked. Officials have indicated that the number could change as individual cases are reviewed and decisions are taken on a rolling basis.
The administration is coordinating with DHS to finalise the process. Potential legal challenges and policy changes could also alter the scope of the proposed action.
For B1 and B2 visa holders, the proposed policy signals another significant tightening of US immigration enforcement. While visa revocation would not automatically mean deportation, affected foreign nationals could lose the business or tourism status under which they originally entered the United States. The final number of people affected will become clearer after the administration completes its review and addresses any potential legal challenges.
