US Plans Visa Revocation for Foreigners Seeking Asylum

The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced plans to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreign nationals who have applied for, or are currently seeking, asylum in the United States.

A spokesperson for the US Department of State said the department was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of people who entered the country as short-term visitors before filing asylum claims in a bid to remain in the US permanently.

The department did not disclose the number of visas that could be affected. However, the Associated Press, citing State Department documents and two US officials, reported that as many as 200,000 holders of B1 and B2 business and tourist visas could be targeted.

If implemented on that scale, the move would represent the largest mass revocation of US visas in the country’s history.

According to the AP report, the State Department is considering targeting B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreign nationals who have applied for asylum or currently have asylum cases pending.

The planned revocations would not automatically result in immediate deportation. Most people with pending asylum applications would reportedly be placed under a different immigration category but would no longer retain their status as business or tourist visitors.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had previously criticised the country’s asylum system, alleging that it had become overwhelmed by what he described as “frivolous asylum claims”.

The State Department also said the Trump administration had already revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals, although it did not provide further details on the latest planned revocations.