US B1/B2 Visa Revocations: What Africans Need to Know

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing a large-scale revocation of US business and tourist visas held by foreigners who entered the country as temporary visitors and later applied for asylum, according to documents and US officials cited by the Associated Press.

The Associated Press reported on August 25 that the State Department could revoke as many as 200,000 B1 and B2 visas. If carried out at that scale, AP says it would be the largest single mass visa revocation in US history.

For African travellers and diaspora communities, the most important point is that this is not an Africa-specific policy. The planned action is aimed at certain foreign nationals who received temporary visitor visas and later sought asylum in the United States.

What is the US planning to do?

According to AP, the State Department is preparing to revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who have sought asylum or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.

A State Department spokesperson told AP that the department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify people who entered the United States as short-term visitors but later filed asylum applications in an effort to remain permanently.

The final number has not been announced. The State Department said the total would be dynamic because any revocations would take place on a rolling basis.

That means the widely reported figure of up to 200,000 visas should be understood as the potential scale of the action, not a confirmed final total.

What are B1 and B2 visas?

B1 and B2 visas are temporary, nonimmigrant visitor visas.