Washington. The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to cancel the business and tourist visas of up to two lakh foreign nationals who have applied for asylum in the country or are currently in the process of applying. If this happens, it will be the largest such action to cancel such a large number of visas at once in American history and it is likely to face legal challenges.
If the decision is not challenged or changed, the State Department could announce in the coming weeks the cancellation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, according to US State Department documents and two US officials. This will include visa holders who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the US. This action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
What are B1 and B2 visas
B1 visas are generally issued for business trips, while B2 visas are issued for tourism, visiting family, or medical treatment. “We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas for foreign nationals who come to the United States as short-term visitors but later apply for asylum to remain here permanently,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
He declined to comment on the likely number of visa cancellations, saying, “As this process continues, the number of visas to be canceled will continue to vary and this action will be taken in a phased manner.”
Will 2 lakh people be expelled from the country immediately?
Officials said visa cancellations do not necessarily mean that the people concerned will be immediately deported from the US. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that most of the people who currently have pending asylum cases could be reclassified, but would lose their visa status as business or tourist travelers.
Restrictions continue on visas
Since President Donald Trump took office for the second time last year, his administration has continuously tightened restrictions on visa applicants. These include asking for more information from applicants about their social media history, mandating the submission of expensive bonds for the visa process and completely banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, in a post on social media on Monday, took aim at people he said use tourist and business visas to enter the US and then apply for asylum.
Currently people applying for B1 and B2 visas are asked to confirm that they will not apply for asylum in the US. Additionally, they also have to prove that they intend to return to their country.
Nearly 2 lakhs have been canceled
In the last 18 months, the State Department has canceled about 1.75 lakh visas. These include people who have been convicted of or are accused of crimes ranging from drunk driving to rape and robbery. Apart from this, visas of some people who spoke publicly against America's policies, especially those related to West Asia, have also been cancelled.
The Trump administration has also intensified its crackdown on 'birth tourism' by foreigners whose aim is to get pregnant women to come to America and give birth to a child here and get citizenship here.