The United States is preparing to cancel the business (B1) and tourist (B2) visas of as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for, or are seeking, asylum, according to reporting by the Associated Press and a statement from the US State Department. Officials described the move as potentially the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history.
Scope and timing
State Department documents and interviews with US officials, cited by the AP, indicate the revocations would target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026. The department is said to be coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and expected to announce the measure within the coming weeks.
What happens to affected travellers
US officials told the AP that the cancellations would not automatically trigger deportations. Instead, most people with pending asylum claims would be reclassified into a different immigration category while their cases proceed. The action would effectively strip affected travellers of their short‑term visitor status while preserving the immigration process for asylum adjudication.
“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott was quoted as saying the departments are working together to "identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short‑term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently."
Administration context
The reported plan forms part of a broader pattern of tighter visa and immigration controls under President Donald Trump’s second term, according to the AP. The Trump administration has progressively introduced restrictions on visa applicants since taking office last year, and officials framed the planned revocations as a response to what they described as misuse of visitor visas.
Immediate business and travel implications
For South African companies and individuals who travel to the US on short‑term business or tourist visas, the announced measure highlights the risk that a visa’s original purpose may be reassessed if the holder seeks asylum after arrival. While officials say cancellations would not automatically mean removal from US soil, the change in visa status could complicate business travel, investor meetings and tourism plans for those who are subject to review.
- Number affected: Up to 200,000 visas.
- Period covered: Visas issued between 2016 and 2026.
- Immediate effect: Revocation of B1/B2 designation; most cases shifted into a different immigration category rather than automatic deportation.
Businesses that rely on short‑term travel to the US should monitor the State Department announcement closely: changes to visa status can affect travel plans, meeting schedules and the ease of cross‑border engagement with US partners or investors.
Legal and procedural questions remain
The AP reporting notes officials expect the action to be implemented in coordination with DHS. But the measure raises procedural questions about how asylum seekers currently in the United States will be managed administratively while their claims are adjudicated, and how the revocations will be communicated to affected visa holders overseas.
It is also unclear how consular processes for future travellers will change, or whether additional checks on visa applicants’ intent will be tightened. The State Department statement quoted by the AP frames the move as closing a perceived loophole whereby visitors obtain short‑term visas and later apply for asylum.
For households and firms that budget for travel, the announced policy is another reminder that visa approval and the stability of travel permissions remain subject to shifting policy in major destination countries. Financial planning for trips — whether for tourism or business development — now sits alongside geopolitical and immigration policymaking as a material risk.
Reporting on this development was based on the Associated Press and State Department material cited in initial coverage.
