Washington, United States. The Donald Trump administration is reportedly preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of nearly 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for asylum in the United States. If implemented, the move could become one of the largest visa cancellation actions carried out under a single initiative in U.S. immigration history.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the administration is working on the plan based on internal State Department documents and information provided by U.S. officials. The proposed action could involve B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026.
B1 visas are generally issued for business-related travel, while B2 visas are intended for tourism, visiting relatives and other temporary purposes. According to the report, the administration may now review the visas of people who applied for asylum after arriving in the United States on these visas or are currently seeking asylum.
The State Department could announce the plan in the coming weeks. However, officials have indicated that the proposal is still in its final stages and could be modified in response to legal challenges or administrative changes.
The proposed move is being seen as part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to further tighten U.S. immigration policy. The administration has previously pursued stricter measures concerning border security, illegal immigration and the asylum process.
Experts are also closely watching how visa cancellations could affect pending asylum cases. Generally, visa status and asylum applications are governed by separate legal processes. Therefore, the cancellation of a visa would not necessarily mean that an individual’s asylum application would automatically be rejected.
The proposed action could affect a large number of foreign nationals and may also trigger legal disputes. Immigration rights organisations are expected to closely monitor the development and could potentially challenge the policy.
For now, an official announcement from the State Department is awaited. Only after the details are released will it become clear which individuals will be affected and how the visa cancellation process will proceed.
