The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourist visas held by foreign nationals who applied for asylum after entering the country. If the decision is carried out on the stated scale, it will be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history.
The Associated Press reported this on August 24, citing documents from the U.S. State Department and two U.S. officials.
The measure applies to nonimmigrant visas in the B1 and B2 categories, which are intended primarily for business and tourist travel, visiting relatives, and receiving medical treatment, respectively.
Visas issued between 2016 and 2026 may be subject to this new measure if their holders applied for asylum after arriving in the United States or are continuing the asylum process.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed that the procedure is being prepared but did not specify its final scope.
“We are coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas held by foreign nationals who entered the United States as short-term visitors and subsequently applied for asylum in order to remain here permanently,” the State Department spokesperson said.
According to him, the process will be carried out gradually, so the number of revoked visas remains uncertain for now.
Thus, the figure of up to 200,000 visas is currently an AP estimate based on internal documents and information from U.S. officials, rather than an officially announced quota by the State Department.
The revocation of visas will not result in the immediate deportation of all affected foreign nationals from the U.S.
According to the AP, most people whose asylum applications are pending will be transferred to the appropriate immigration category; however, they will no longer be considered to be in the country as business or tourist visitors.
The administration’s main argument is that B1/B2 visas are issued to people who state that their trip is temporary and that they intend to leave the U.S. The authorities view the filing of an asylum application after entry as possible evidence that the original purpose of the trip may not have matched the stated one.
The large-scale revocation of visas is expected to face legal challenges. The AP notes that the decision could still be reviewed or challenged before it is fully implemented.
The new measure will be a continuation of the significant tightening of U.S. visa and immigration policies.
The State Department reported on August 10, 2026, that more than 175,000 visas for foreign nationals have already been revoked since Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
According to the department, the grounds for revocation included visa violations, criminal offenses, fraud, threats to national security, and other violations. Among the most common reasons cited by the State Department were assaults, driving under the influence, theft, and drug-related crimes.
However, the planned revocation of up to 200,000 visas is unique in that it targets a single specific category of visa holders and is part of a unified administrative campaign. This is precisely why the AP describes it as potentially the largest one-time mass revocation of visas in U.S. history.
In 2025–2026, the Trump administration also expanded social media screening of applicants, tightened requirements for several categories of foreign nationals, introduced or expanded visa restrictions for citizens of dozens of countries, and intensified scrutiny of visas that had already been issued.
The new measure applies to foreign nationals regardless of their specific nationality, provided they meet the specified criteria. Therefore, in theory, it could also affect Ukrainian citizens who entered the U.S. on valid B1/B2 visas and subsequently applied for asylum. At the same time, other mechanisms governing Ukrainians’ stay in
the U.S. are not, in and of themselves, the subject of the announced campaign.
