The United States government is preparing a major visa crackdown that could affect as many as 200,000 foreigners who entered the country on business or tourism visas and later applied for asylum.

The planned move is part of President Donald Trump’s tougher immigration policy and could become the largest mass revocation of US visas in the country’s history if implemented at the reported scale. 

The US State Department said it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify people who entered the country as temporary visitors but later sought asylum.

The focus is on B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026. B1 visas are generally used for business trips, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and some medical travel. 

The announcement is particularly relevant to Nigerians because the US already has restrictions affecting Nigerian applicants for B1/B2 visitor visas.

Since January 2026, the State Department has partially suspended the issuance of B1/B2 visas to nationals of several countries, including Nigeria, under a broader US visa policy. 

However, the latest proposal is different. It concerns foreign nationals who already obtained visitor visas, entered the US and subsequently applied for asylum.

The State Department has not given a final number of people whose visas will be revoked. A spokesperson said the process would happen on a rolling basis, meaning the number could change as officials identify affected visa holders. 

The Associated Press, citing US officials and State Department documents, reported that the number could reach 200,000. If that figure is reached, the action would represent an unprecedented mass cancellation of US visas. 

The visa cancellation itself would not automatically mean that everyone affected would be deported immediately. People with pending asylum cases could instead lose their classification as business or tourism visitors while their immigration cases continue under a different status. 

The development is nevertheless significant because applying for asylum after entering the US on a visitor visa has become a major focus of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has criticised what he described as people using asylum claims as a way around immigration rules. The administration says asylum is intended to protect people facing persecution rather than serve as a route to remain in the US permanently after entering as visitors. 

Under US law, however, foreigners who are physically present in the country can apply for asylum if they meet the legal requirements, regardless of their immigration status. 

The planned visa revocations are expected to be carried out gradually and could face legal challenges.

The Trump administration has already revoked more than 175,000 visas since returning to office, according to the State Department, as it continues to tighten immigration and visa enforcement. 

For Nigerians who travelled to the US on B1 or B2 visas and later filed asylum applications, the development could have serious implications. However, there is no indication that every Nigerian with a pending asylum application will automatically lose their visa or be deported.

The government is still identifying the people who will be affected, and the exact number of visa revocations has not been released.