The Trump administration is preparing to cancel the business and tourist visas of up to 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for asylum in the United States or are currently seeking it. If implemented, this would be the largest mass visa cancellation in US history.
According to State Department documents and two US officials, the State Department plans to announce the cancellation of B1 and B2 visas in the coming weeks. The visas in question were issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have filed or are filing asylum applications.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the United States is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and cancel the nonimmigrant visas of foreign nationals who entered the country for short-term stays and subsequently applied for asylum to obtain permanent residency.
However, visa cancellation does not automatically mean immediate deportation. According to officials, most of those whose asylum cases are currently under review will be moved to another status, but will lose their status as business or tourist travelers.
The planned move is not limited to visa cancellations. According to the data presented, most people whose asylum cases remain under review may stay in the United States under another status, meaning this is not necessarily about leaving the country immediately in every case. The legal basis for their stay will change, and that distinction is important for understanding the actual consequences of the expected decision.
Another notable factor is the potential scale of the action. If implemented, the cancellation of up to 200,000 visas would become the largest mass action of its kind in US history. At the same time, this is still a planned measure, with a final announcement, according to the information presented, expected in the coming weeks.
