US to revoke visas of short-term visitors seeking asylum

The Trump administration intends to revoke the visas of individuals who initially entered the United States as short-term visitors but subsequently applied for asylum. According to US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, "Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud—and this is grounds for visa revocation." Pigott emphasized that the number of revocations is ever-changing and will occur on an ongoing basis. Reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of visas may be impacted.

Since President Donald Trump assumed office, his administration has revoked over 175,000 visas held by foreign nationals for various reasons, as per the State Department. Pigott explained to the BBC that, under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, it is clear that a visa is a privilege—not a right. The department is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas from foreigners who entered the US as short-term visitors but subsequently filed for asylum to reside permanently.

These visas, such as B1 and B2, are granted with the understanding that the holder intends to return home. Those who applied for such visas between 2016 and 2026 and have since sought asylum or are currently seeking asylum are to be revoked, according to the Associated Press, citing State Department documents. The majority of business and tourism visas in 2024 were issued to citizens from Brazil, which obtained more than 1.1 million B1 and B2 visas, followed by mainland China, India, and Pakistan, as reported by State Department data. In 2024, just over 32,300 visas were granted to visitors from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In recent months, the State Department has revoked over 175,000 visas from foreign nationals who violated visa terms, committed crimes, advocated violence against US citizens, defrauded Americans, abused the immigration system, or endangered national security. The department has instructed embassies and consulates to reschedule visa interviews to allow consular officers to undergo training on a more restrictive policy.

These visa revocations follow a recent US court ruling striking down Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries, as it exceeded the authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Another US court ruled against the administration's efforts to halt the processing of immigration applications from 39 countries in June.