Washington: The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to revoke B-1 and B-2 visas held by foreign nationals who have previously sought or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, in what experts say could become the largest mass visa revocation in the country’s history.
The US Department of State plans to target business and tourist visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who subsequently filed asylum claims.
Up to 2 lakh people could be affected
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the measure was aimed at people who entered the US claiming to be short-term visitors but later sought asylum to remain in the country.
The department has not announced an official figure. However, Associated Press reports cited State Department documents and US officials as estimating that as many as 2 lakh people could be affected.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticised the use of tourist and business visas for asylum applications, arguing that asylum should not be used to bypass immigration rules.
Visa cancellation does not end asylum claim
Migration researcher Rut Bermejo Casado said revoking a B-1 or B-2 visa would not automatically terminate a person’s asylum application.
People who entered the US on such visas and subsequently applied for asylum generally derive their current legal status from the pending asylum process rather than the original visitor visa.
However, losing the temporary visa could leave applicants dependent entirely on the outcome of their asylum cases. If their claims are rejected, they would no longer have the original non-immigrant status as a fallback.
The policy could also face legal challenges over whether people are being penalised for exercising rights available under US asylum law.
Part of wider immigration crackdown
The planned visa revocations form part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown.
Earlier this month, the State Department said it had revoked more than 1.75 lakh visas involving allegations including criminal activity, visa violations, fraud, calls for violence and national security concerns.
The administration has also tightened restrictions on visa applicants and pursued measures affecting birthright citizenship and deportations.
The latest policy could additionally act as a deterrent, signalling that people who enter the US on temporary visas and later seek asylum may face greater immigration scrutiny.