Nigerians affected as US plans mass visa revocation for asylum seekers

The United States government has announced plans to revoke the visitor visas of foreigners, including Nigerians, who entered the country on short-term visas and subsequently filed for asylum.

The sweeping policy targets individuals who obtained temporary business (B1) or tourism (B2) visas but used them to seek permanent residency via the US asylum framework.

The move is the latest in a sweeping immigration crackdown by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has targeted both undocumented and legal immigration.

A State Department spokesperson said on Monday that the department was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security “to identify and revoke the non-immigrant 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”.

The department did not disclose how many visas would be revoked under the planned policy.

However, the Associated Press reported that as many as 200,000 business and tourism visa holders could be affected, citing State Department documents and two US officials.

If implemented at that scale, the move would represent the largest single mass revocation of US visas in history.

According to the AP, the State Department plans to revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought or are currently seeking asylum.

B1 and B2 visas are non-immigrant visas issued primarily for business and tourism travel.

The planned revocations would not automatically result in immediate deportation.

The AP reported that most people with pending asylum cases would be re-categorised but would lose their status as business or tourism visitors.

Earlier on Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau alleged on X that the American immigration system “has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims”.

The State Department said earlier this month that the Trump administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals.

Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown since returning to office, including visa and green card revocations and an expanded deportation campaign.

The president has said the measures are intended to strengthen US domestic security and enforce immigration laws.

Rights groups, however, have criticised the crackdown, arguing that some of the measures violate free speech and due process rights and have created an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities amid concerns over racial profiling.

Although Trump campaigned in 2024 on a pledge to curb illegal immigration, his administration has also introduced measures affecting legal immigration, including new and expensive fees for applicants for certain work visas.

The administration’s immigration policies have faced several legal challenges.