US Plans to Revoke Up to 200,000 Business and Tourist Visas Held by Asylum Seekers
Washington, August 26, 2026: The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourist visas of potentially up to 200,000 foreign nationals who entered the United States on temporary visas and later applied for or are currently seeking asylum, according to reports citing US government documents and officials.
The proposed action would target holders of B1 and B2 nonimmigrant visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum. If implemented on the reported scale, it would represent the largest single mass visa-revocation exercise in US history.
Government says visas were issued for temporary visits
The US State Department said it is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify people who entered the country as business or tourism visitors but subsequently filed asylum claims.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the administration considers obtaining a visa with the intention of using it to seek asylum to be grounds for revocation. The department has not confirmed that exactly 200,000 visas will be cancelled, saying the number remains subject to change as the review proceeds.
Revocation would not automatically mean deportation
The planned cancellation of a visa does not necessarily mean immediate deportation.
According to officials cited by the Associated Press, people with pending asylum cases could lose their status as business or tourism visitors while their asylum claims continue through the immigration system. Removal proceedings would depend on the circumstances of individual cases and the outcome of their immigration proceedings.
Large-scale review to be carried out gradually
The State Department is expected to carry out the revocations on a rolling basis, rather than cancelling all affected visas simultaneously.
Officials have described the process as part of a wider effort to tighten enforcement of US immigration rules and scrutinise how foreign nationals use temporary visas. The department said more than 175,000 visas had already been revoked under the Trump administration for various reasons, including criminal conduct and other alleged violations.
Immigration policy faces legal scrutiny
The proposed visa cancellations come amid a broader immigration crackdown by the Trump administration that has included increased screening, visa revocations and restrictions affecting both undocumented migrants and people seeking legal immigration routes.
Several immigration measures introduced by the administration have faced criticism from rights organisations and legal challenges in US courts. Critics have raised concerns about due process and the potential consequences for people with legitimate asylum claims.
Asylum applications remain legally distinct
US immigration law allows eligible foreign nationals who are physically present in the United States to seek asylum if they meet the legal requirements, including facing persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on protected grounds.
The new policy would therefore create an important distinction between the validity of an asylum claim and the continued validity of the original B1 or B2 visa. Losing a temporary visitor visa does not by itself determine whether an individual’s asylum claim is legally valid.
Potential impact on thousands of foreign nationals
If the administration proceeds with the reported scale of the plan, hundreds of thousands of people could be affected by the review, although the final number is not yet certain.
For affected visa holders, the consequences could include losing their previous nonimmigrant status and facing additional immigration proceedings. The government is expected to coordinate the process with Homeland Security while reviewing individual cases.
The proposed action is likely to become another major test of the Trump administration’s immigration strategy, particularly if legal challenges are filed over how the visa cancellations are implemented and how they interact with pending asylum applications.
For now, US authorities have indicated that the process will proceed gradually, while the final number of affected visas remains uncertain.
