Up to 200,000 foreigners who entered the United States on business or tourist visas and later applied for asylum could have their visas revoked under a new plan being prepared by President Donald Trump’s administration. If implemented, the move could become the largest single mass visa revocation in US history, although officials say losing a visa would not automatically mean immediate deportation.
The State Department is expected to begin the process in the coming weeks unless the policy is changed or blocked through legal action.
The proposal targets B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreign nationals who later applied for asylum or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.
For Nigerians and other foreign nationals holding US visitor visas, the important point is that the measure is not a general cancellation of all B1/B2 visas. A Nigerian would potentially be affected only if they fall within the categories being targeted under the proposed policy.
B1 visas are mainly used for short-term business trips, while B2 visas cover tourism, visits to family and friends and some medical travel. They are temporary, non-immigrant visas and are not intended for permanent residence.
Trump administration targets visitors who later claim asylum
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed that officials were working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify people who entered the country as temporary visitors but later sought asylum.
Pigott said the Government was seeking to revoke visas held by foreigners who entered as short-term visitors and then filed asylum claims to remain permanently.
The precise number affected could change because the review will take place on a rolling basis.
US officials told the Associated Press that as many as 200,000 people could ultimately be affected. However, the plan has not been formally completed and is expected to face legal challenges.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has argued that the asylum system should not be used as a route around normal immigration rules.
Under US law, however, asylum is a separate legal protection available to people who say they face persecution in their home country. That means the central dispute is likely to be whether the Government can revoke a previously issued visitor visa simply because its holder later exercised the right to seek asylum.
Visa cancellation does not mean immediate deportation
One of the most important points for affected travellers is that visa revocation would not necessarily trigger immediate removal from the United States.
Officials familiar with the proposal said many people with pending asylum applications could be placed into another immigration category while their cases continue. They would, however, lose their status as business or tourist visa holders.
That distinction matters because a visa and an asylum application serve different purposes.
A visa allows a foreign national to travel to the United States and seek admission for a particular purpose. An asylum claim asks the US Government for protection because the applicant says returning home would expose them to persecution.
People potentially affected should therefore not assume that a revoked B1/B2 visa automatically means their asylum claim has been rejected.
Anyone whose immigration status is affected should check official State Department or immigration notices and, where necessary, obtain advice from a qualified US immigration lawyer before making international travel plans.
Nigerians already face tougher B1/B2 rules
The proposed mass revocation comes as Nigerians are already facing tighter rules for US business and tourist visas.
New Daily Prime previously reported that some Nigerian B1/B2 applicants can be required to provide visa bonds of between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on the decision made during the visa process. US imposes visa bond requirement of up to $15,000 for Nigerians
The measure applies to countries Washington considers to have significant visa-overstay risks. The bond is not an additional visa fee and does not guarantee that an application will be approved.
New Daily Prime has also reported on Washington’s wider continuous vetting programme, under which US authorities review millions of existing visa holders for possible immigration, criminal or security violations.
US to review 55 million visa holders for possible violations. That programme shows that scrutiny does not end when a visa is granted.
More than 175,000 visas already revoked
The latest proposal follows an already large increase in visa cancellations during Trump’s second presidency.
The State Department said earlier this month that it had revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals. It cited reasons including breaches of visa conditions, criminal activity, fraud, threats to national security and other alleged abuses of the immigration system.
New Daily Prime previously reported another part of the crackdown when the administration announced the revocation of more than 6,000 student visas. Trump administration revokes over 6,000 student visas
The planned cancellation of up to another 200,000 business and tourist visas would be different because the main trigger would be the holder having applied for asylum after entering the country as a temporary visitor.
The administration argues that someone issued a B1 or B2 visa must originally demonstrate an intention to leave the United States after a temporary visit. Officials say a later asylum application can raise questions about whether that intention was genuine when the visa was issued.
Immigration advocates are expected to challenge that reasoning, particularly because circumstances in a traveller’s home country can change after a visa has been granted or after the person enters the United States.
What readers should know
The Trump administration is preparing to revoke up to 200,000 B1 and B2 business and tourist visas held by people who later sought asylum in the United States. The policy has not yet been fully implemented, the final number affected remains uncertain and visa cancellation would not automatically mean immediate deportation. Nigerians are not identified as a specific nationality targeted by this particular proposal, but Nigerian B1/B2 holders who have applied for asylum could potentially be affected if they meet the criteria.
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