The United States may revoke the tourist and business visas of up to 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for asylum after entering the country.
The Trump administration is considering the move as part of its wider immigration crackdown. The Associated Press reported the plan after reviewing State Department documents and speaking with two U.S. officials.
If the administration proceeds, the action could become the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history. The State Department could start notifying affected visa holders in the coming weeks.
Who could lose their visas?
The proposed policy focuses on people who hold B1 or B2 visas and later applied for asylum in the United States.
B1 visas generally cover business travel. B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical treatment.
The proposed review would cover B1 and B2 visas issued from 2016 through 2026. U.S. authorities are working to identify visa holders who entered the country as temporary visitors and later filed asylum applications.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed the coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. He did not give a final figure for the number of visas that officials could revoke.
Pigott said officials would handle the reviews on a rolling basis. As a result, the final number could change.
Visa cancellation may not mean immediate deportation
Losing a B1 or B2 visa would not automatically lead to immediate deportation.
U.S. officials told the Associated Press that some people could continue their pending asylum cases under another immigration status. They would, however, lose their classification as business or tourist visitors.
The proposal has also drawn criticism from asylum advocates and could face legal challenges if the administration implements it.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has criticised people who enter the United States on temporary visas and later seek asylum. He has argued that people should not use asylum claims to avoid normal immigration rules.
Part of wider immigration enforcement
The visa proposal follows a broader increase in U.S. immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.
The State Department says it has revoked about 175,000 visas over the past 18 months. Those cases involved people convicted or accused of offences such as drunken driving, rape and robbery.
Officials have also cancelled some visas after holders publicly criticised U.S. policies.
The administration has separately pursued restrictions on birth tourism. It has also sought to end birthright citizenship. Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have blocked those efforts.
Possible impact on Nigerians
The policy could attract attention in Nigeria because many Nigerians travel to the United States for business, tourism, family visits and investment.
Visa changes can also affect people involved in cross-border business. This includes real estate investors, property developers and professionals who work between Nigeria and the United States.
For Nigeria’s housing sector, international mobility can support diaspora investment and business partnerships. Changes to U.S. immigration rules could therefore matter to Nigerians planning property purchases, investments or other commercial activities in the United States.
The issue also highlights the importance of understanding the conditions attached to temporary visas. Visitors who enter the United States must comply with the terms of their immigration status.
US continues to tighten immigration rules
The State Department documents show that the latest review began after immigration authorities shared information about asylum applications filed by current B1 and B2 visa holders.
The administration has also increased efforts to remove migrants to countries other than their countries of origin. A February 2026 report cited by Nairametrics said Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee estimated that the U.S. government had spent more than $40 million to deport about 300 migrants to third countries.
Those transfers involved countries such as Rwanda, Palau, Eswatini, El Salvador and Equatorial Guinea. The report said Rwanda received seven deportees at a cost of about $1.1 million per person.
The proposed visa revocations remain under review. The U.S. government has not confirmed that it will cancel exactly 200,000 visas.
For international travellers, the development signals a stricter approach to visa enforcement. Nigerians and other foreign nationals who plan to travel, invest or conduct business in the United States will need to pay close attention to changes in U.S. immigration rules.
