The Donald Trump administration temporarily halted immigrant visa interviews while preparing a separate measure that could cancel up to 200,000 B1/B2 visas belonging to people who applied for asylum.
The administration is also preparing to revoke tourist and business visas held by asylum applicants, although that process has not yet been carried out.
FOX NEWS: This would potentially be the biggest mass visa revocation in United States history. pic.twitter.com/tomj1UOpKT
— Department of State (@StateDept) August 25, 2026
The State Department instructed embassies and consulates to postpone immigrant visa interviews while officials receive training on new “public charge” guidelines, Fox News reported.
That standard allows officials to assess whether a visa applicant could become dependent on certain public benefits after arriving in the United States.
According to a State Department official cited by Fox News, the training began in early August at embassies and consulates around the world.
Some applicants received emails informing them that their interviews had been canceled without an immediate rescheduling date, according to Fox News.
At the same time, the State Department is preparing to revoke temporary tourist and business visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreign nationals who later applied for asylum.
ABC News reported that internal estimates indicate the cancellations could reach or exceed 200,000.
Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that obtaining a temporary visa with the intention of applying for asylum constitutes fraud.
That is the government’s position and does not mean that every subsequent asylum application automatically proves fraud.
ABC News reported that it is still unclear whether the visa cancellations would lead to removals from the United States.
When a person has an active asylum application, that case must be evaluated before a possible denial could lead to deportation proceedings.
The Trump visa crackdown comes in addition to more than 175,000 visas that the State Department says it has already revoked under Trump for crimes, fraud, immigration violations and national security reasons.
That official total, published on August 10, refers to revocations that have already taken place and should not be confused with the up to 200,000 additional visas now under consideration.
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SOURCE: ABC News / US Department of State / FOX News
