US to Revoke 200,000 Tourist Visas from Asylum Seekers
The United States government plans to carry out a mass revocation of visas held by hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals deemed to have misused temporary residence permits. The policy targets holders of tourist visas or business travellers who subsequently applied for asylum in order to settle permanently.
The US State Department said the measure is part of efforts to tighten immigration rules. Working with the Department of Homeland Security, the government is identifying individuals who used short-stay visitor status as a loophole to remain in the US.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stressed that such actions are categorised as visa fraud. “Obtaining a visa with the intention of applying for asylum is fraud and constitutes grounds for revoking the visa,” Pigott said on Tuesday (25/8) local time.
The White House projects the policy will affect around 200,000 visas. If implemented, the move is claimed to be the largest mass visa revocation in American history. However, Pigott added that the figure remains fluid because the review process is being carried out in stages and on an ongoing basis.
The policy extends the series of hardline measures taken by Donald Trump’s administration on immigration since he returned to office in January 2025. Previously, the State Department reported that around 175,000 visas had been revoked for various reasons, ranging from legal violations such as drink-driving to controversial statements in public spaces.
Diplomatic tensions also emerged after the US revoked visas of several Mexican officials, including the son of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The move drew strong protests from Mexico’s current president, Claudia Sheinbaum.
In addition to targeting illegal immigrants, the Trump administration is now increasing scrutiny of foreign nationals who enter legally but violate the terms of their visa validity. The government also plans to expand social media activity checks for every visa applicant in order to assess their background before permits are issued.
Nevertheless, the immigration policy has not proceeded smoothly without legal obstacles. On Friday, a federal court struck down a government policy that barred visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt and Nigeria, who intended to settle in the US.