US TO REVOKE VISAS OF TOURISTS, BUSINESS VISITORS WHO SEEK ASYLUM

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Agency Report

The United States government has announced plans to revoke the visas of foreign nationals who entered the country for tourism or business but subsequently applied for asylum to remain in the country.

The State Department disclosed the policy on Tuesday, describing the practice as visa fraud and another step in President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to restrict immigration.

The department said it was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of individuals who entered the US as temporary visitors but later sought asylum with the intention of remaining in the country permanently.

“Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud which is grounds for visa revocation,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement confirming reports of the policy.

The White House, in a post on X, suggested that up to 200,000 visas could be affected, describing the move as the “largest mass visa revocation in history.”

However, the State Department did not confirm the figure.

Pigott said the number of visa revocations remained subject to change and would be carried out on a rolling basis.

“We are making clear that a visa is a privilege not a right,” he said.

The latest policy forms part of the administration’s broader immigration crackdown since Trump returned to office in January 2025.

Earlier this month, the State Department said about 175,000 US visas had been revoked since Trump returned to power, citing grounds ranging from criminal offences, including driving under the influence, to statements praising the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

The administration has also revoked the visas of Mexican officials, including the son of former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a move that drew criticism from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Trump campaigned heavily on reducing illegal immigration and has overseen the removal of large numbers of people who were in the US without valid residence documents.

His administration has also introduced measures targeting foreigners who enter the country legally but subsequently overstay their visas.

Some of the administration’s immigration measures have, however, faced legal challenges.

Last Friday, a federal judge struck down a government ban on visas for nationals of 75 countries seeking to settle in the United States indefinitely. The affected countries included Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen.

The Trump administration is also planning to expand scrutiny of the social media accounts of visa applicants as part of its broader vetting measures.

The State Department said the latest visa policy would be implemented on a rolling basis as authorities identify cases that meet the stated criteria.