By Our Reporter 

The administration of United States President, Donald Trump, is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the country.

If implemented, the measure would constitute the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history and is expected to face legal challenges.

The US State Department is expected to announce the revocations in the coming weeks, unless the plan is challenged or revised.

The action would target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and information from two US officials.

The exercise is being conducted in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed the planned action, saying the two agencies were working together to identify foreigners who entered the United States as short-term visitors but subsequently applied for asylum in an attempt to remain in the country permanently.

Pigott, however, declined to confirm the number of visas that could be affected, saying the process would be conducted on a rolling basis and that the number of revocations remained dynamic.

The planned revocations would not automatically lead to the immediate deportation of those affected, according to US officials.

People with pending asylum applications could have their immigration categorisation changed, while losing their status as business or tourism travellers.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposed revocations have not yet been finalised.

The move forms part of the Trump administration’s broader tightening of US immigration and visa policies since the president returned to office for a second term.

The administration has introduced stricter scrutiny of visa applicants, including demands for additional information about applicants’ social media activities, increased financial requirements for some visa applicants and restrictions on visa issuance to citizens of certain countries.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also criticised what he described as the misuse of tourist and business visas by people who subsequently seek asylum.

“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau said in a post on X, arguing that asylum should not be used as a means of circumventing US immigration laws.

He cited the case of a Colombian national who entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2015 and later applied for asylum.

B1 visas are generally issued to foreigners travelling to the United States for business purposes, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical treatment.

Nearly 6.5 million B1 and B2 visas were issued in the 2024 fiscal year, according to US State Department figures.

Under existing procedures, applicants for B1 and B2 visas are required to demonstrate that they intend to return to their home countries after their authorised stay.

Applicants are also asked to affirm that they will not seek asylum in the United States.

However, it remains unclear from the State Department documents and information provided by officials how many B1 and B2 visa holders have applied for asylum and would ultimately be affected by the proposed revocations.

The State Department said earlier this month that the Trump administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas over the preceding 18 months.

Those affected included foreign nationals accused or convicted of offences ranging from drunken driving to rape and robbery, as well as some people who had publicly criticised US policies, particularly concerning the Middle East.

The latest documents obtained by AP indicate that the screening of current B1 and B2 visa holders began after the State Department received information about asylum applications from US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The proposed mass revocation comes amid a broader escalation of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, including measures targeting legal immigration and other categories of foreign nationals.

Recent actions have already prompted legal challenges, with US courts blocking or questioning some administration immigration policies.

The planned visa action, if implemented on the scale being considered, could therefore become a major test of the administration’s authority to revoke previously issued nonimmigrant visas and its broader approach to asylum and immigration enforcement.

Source: The Associated Press