200,000 visas could be revoked by the Trump administration. Here's who's affected and what happens next

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourist visas held by foreign nationals who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the U.S., according to department documents obtained by the Associated Press .

The State Department is reportedly going to announce the action in the coming weeks. If the plans are carried out, it is believed it would represent the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.

"We are coordinating with Department of Homeland Security 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," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told the Associated Press .

Here's what you need to know about what visas the government is targeting and what happens next.

The State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of B-1 and B-2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum.

Foreign nationals apply for a temporary B-1 visa or B-2 visa if they are visiting the U.S. for business or tourism.

Foreign nationals entering the country for business apply for B-1 visas to attend a business convention or conference, settle an estate, negotiate a contract or meet with business associates.

B-2 visas are for people visiting the U.S. on vacation. They would also apply for those seeing friends or relatives, seeking medical treatment, competing in amateur competitions or taking recreational courses that are not university-accredited.

Visa holders are usually let into the country for six months at a time. Border officers have some flexibility to admit someone for longer, up to a year, and if that's still not enough, people can apply to USCIS for a further extension, usually another six months.

Holding a B-1 or B-2 visa doesn't stop someone from applying for asylum. The two are entirely separate immigration processes, and doing one doesn't require or exclude the other.

However, when current applicants apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa, they are asked to confirm that they intend to return to their home country and are not planning to seek asylum, according to AP.

Under federal law , both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas can be revoked by the State Department at any time, including after someone has already traveled to the U.S.

Courts generally can't second-guess that decision, either. There's almost no way to challenge a visa revocation in court. The only exception is if someone is already in deportation proceedings and the revoked visa is the sole reason they're being removed, according to a Congressional Research Service report published in July.

If someone's B-1 or B-2 visa is revoked and they are already living in the U.S., if they leave the country for any reason, even briefly, they likely won't be allowed to re-enter. Their old visa would be void, so they'd have to apply for a new one from abroad, with no guarantee it would be approved.

Canceling someone's visa does not mean they will be immediately deported. Revoking a visa and deporting someone are two separate legal actions, handled by two different government agencies. The State Department can cancel a visa, but it takes a separate decision by the Department of Homeland Security to actually start the deportation process. Until that happens, the person isn't removed.

Someone whose visa is revoked doesn't lose every legal protection. If they're placed in deportation proceedings, they're still entitled to a hearing. That said, unlike in criminal cases, the government won't provide them a lawyer; they'd need to find one themselves or seek free legal aid.

People with pending claims could be recategorized but lose their status as business or tourism travelers, according to the AP report.

The State Department is expected to formally announce the plan in the coming weeks, though nothing is final yet. No policy has been published in the Federal Register, and officials have cautioned that both the scope and the process could still change before it's carried out.

Pigott, the State Department spokesperson, has said the process would be rolling rather than a single announcement: "As the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis."

Legal challenges are widely expected. Courts have already pushed back on a related immigration move by the administration: a federal judge recently vacated Secretary of State Marco Rubio's suspension of immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, ruling it exceeded his statutory authority.

The Trump administration has so far revoked about 175,000 visas , the State Department said in August, the majority of which were due to "law enforcement encounters" such as assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug crimes. Overstays and public criticism of U.S. policy have also been cited as reasons .

A brief timeline of immigration actions since January 2025

Jan. 20, 2025: Trump returns to office and signs an executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship , launching a broad immigration crackdown.

May 27, 2025: The State Department pauses new student visa interview appointments worldwide for F, M and J visas, as it moves to expand social media vetting.

June 4, 2025: A presidential proclamation bars full or partial entry to the U.S. from 19 countries.

Jan. 12, 2026: The State Department discloses the cumulative visa revocation total has surpassed 100,000 since Trump's inauguration, including about 8,000 student visas.

Jan. 14-21, 2026: The State Department announces a "full review" of screening policies , then pauses immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries.

Feb. 2, 2026: Plaintiffs sue Secretary of State Rubio over the 75-country visa pause.

June 30, 2026: The Supreme Court affirms birthright citizenship, striking down the president's Jan. 2025 order.

Aug. 6, 2026: Trump signs two executive orders in a new attempt to curtail birthright citizenship, despite June's Supreme Court ruling rejecting his previous effort.

Aug. 10, 2026: The State Department discloses the cumulative total of visas revoked has reached more than 175,000 since Trump's inauguration. This is at a pace of more than 10,000 revocations a month in 2026, up from about 8,000 a month in 2025.

Aug. 21, 2026: A federal judge vacates Rubio's 75-country visa pause , ruling it exceeded his statutory authority.