U.S. set to revoke up to 200,000 visas in a major immigration crackdown.

The United States is set to revoke no fewer than 200,000 visas, according to the Department of State.

The move would mark the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and is expected to face legal challenges.
According to documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. officials, the action will be carried out by the Department of State in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
The revocation is expected to affect business and tourism visas issued to foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States.
The State Department is expected to announce the revocation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought or are seeking asylum.
B1 visas are generally issued for business trips, while B2 visas are typically issued for tourism, family visits or medical care.
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the U.S. claiming to be short-term visitors but filed for asylum to stay here permanently,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott was quoted as saying.
Pigott said the process would be ongoing, adding that the number of revocations remains dynamic and would be carried out on a rolling basis.
However, the revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, according to Department officials.
Most people with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorised but would lose their status as business or tourism travellers, the officials said.
Since President Donald Trump began his second term in 2025, his administration has steadily increased restrictions on visa applicants.
The administration has demanded more information about immigrants’ social media histories, required expensive bonds for visa processing and imposed outright bans on visa issuance to citizens of certain countries.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticised people who he said use tourist and business visas to enter the United States before applying for asylum.
“People in the U.S. and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote in a social media post on Monday.
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
It was not immediately clear from the documents or officials how many visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum in the United States and would be affected by the revocations.
Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are required to affirm that they will not apply for asylum in the United States and demonstrate that they intend to return to their home countries.
In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas belonging to people who have been convicted or accused of crimes.
The cases range from drunken driving to rape and robbery, as well as people who have publicly spoken out against U.S. policies, particularly regarding the Middle East.
The administration has also moved to crack down on what it describes as “birth tourism,” a practice it claims is used by foreign pregnant women who travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can benefit from birthright citizenship.
Trump has made several attempts to end birthright citizenship, but the moves have been rejected by courts, including the Supreme Court. NAN