The Trump administration is targeting B1 and B2 visa holders who entered as short-term visitors before seeking asylum, with Nigerians potentially affected
The United States Department of State is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of as many as 200,000 foreigners who have sought or are seeking asylum in the country, a sweeping move that could become the largest mass visa revocation in US history.
Also read: US visa freeze threatens 5,000 Nigerian immigrants
The planned action, expected to begin in the coming weeks, targets B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who entered the US as short-term visitors before applying for asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two US officials.
The process will be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. (AP News)
The State Department has confirmed the plan but stressed that the final number of affected visa holders remains uncertain.
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant 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,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. (The Washington Post)
Pigott said the number of revocations was “dynamic” and that the action would be implemented on a rolling basis, meaning the figure could change as the review progresses. (The Washington Post)
The proposed US visa revocation would not automatically mean immediate deportation for everyone affected.
US officials told AP that people with pending asylum cases would generally lose their B1 or B2 visitor classification while their asylum claims continued to be considered.
The distinction is important because visa cancellation and removal from the United States are separate immigration processes. (The Washington Post)
B1 visas are principally issued for business travel, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and certain medical purposes.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate that they intend to return to their home countries rather than use temporary entry as a route to permanent residence.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the proposed crackdown, arguing that the asylum system should not be used to bypass the conditions attached to visitor visas.
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law,” Landau said in a post on X. (The Washington Post)
The planned action is part of a much broader tightening of US immigration policy under President Donald Trump, whose administration has increased scrutiny of visa applicants, expanded restrictions affecting nationals of several countries and pursued more aggressive enforcement against people considered to have violated immigration rules. (The Guardian)
The State Department has already revoked about 175,000 visas during the past 18 months, according to AP, involving people convicted or accused of crimes as well as some individuals whose public statements were considered grounds for action. (The Washington Post)
The new proposal is different in scale because it would target a broad category of B1 and B2 holders based on their subsequent asylum applications rather than individual criminal conduct.
For Nigerians, the development is particularly significant because Nigeria is among the nationalities whose citizens have sought asylum in the United States in substantial numbers.
However, the US government has not disclosed how many Nigerians could be included in the potential 200,000 figure.
Available US immigration court data show that 1,372 Nigerians were granted asylum between 2022 and 2024, while 1,534 applications were denied during the same period, according to figures reported from the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
The grants comprised 475 in 2022, 514 in 2023 and 383 in 2024. (Punch Newspapers)
Those figures concern asylum decisions in immigration proceedings and should not be interpreted as the number of Nigerians who entered the US on B1 or B2 visas.
The government has yet to provide a nationality breakdown for the proposed visa revocations.
The distinction matters because applying for asylum is not, by itself, evidence that an applicant has committed an immigration offence.
US immigration authorities recognise asylum as a form of protection for people who can demonstrate persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on specified grounds. (Department of Justice)
The proposed policy instead reflects the Trump administration’s argument that people who enter on temporary visitor visas should not subsequently use the asylum system as a means of remaining permanently in the country.
For Nigerians currently in the US with B1 or B2 visas and pending asylum applications, the practical consequences could include the loss of their visitor status and increased scrutiny as immigration authorities review their cases.
The potential changes also come against an already tougher visa environment for Nigerians. Since January 2026, the State Department has partially suspended issuance of B1 and B2 visitor visas to Nigerian nationals under a broader presidential proclamation, with limited exceptions. (Travel.gov)
That policy does not mean every Nigerian is barred from obtaining a US visitor visa, but it illustrates the increasingly restrictive environment facing Nigerian travellers and other foreign nationals seeking temporary entry to the United States.
For now, the proposed mass revocations remain subject to possible revision and legal challenges.
The State Department has not issued the final list of affected visa holders, and officials have emphasised that the number will evolve as the review continues.
Also read: My US visa revoked after comparing Trump to Idi Amin – Wole Soyinka
If implemented at the scale reported by AP, however, the measure would represent a dramatic escalation in the administration’s immigration enforcement campaign and place thousands of asylum cases under a new layer of uncertainty.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
