Since Trump began his second term, his administration has steadily tightened visa rules asking for more social media history from applicants, requiring costly bonds, and banning visas outright for citizens of some countries.5 min readAug 25, 2026 10:52 AM IST First published on: Aug 25, 2026 at 10:45 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookSecretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington, as President Donald Trump look on. (AP Photo)The Trump administration is tightening its grip on US immigration on two fronts at once preparing to cancel up to 200,000 business and tourist visas in what would be the largest mass revocation in the country’s history, while Vice President JD Vance backs a steep new fee for H-1B work visas.What visas are being cancelled, and why?Unless challenged or changed, the State Department is expected to announce within weeks that it will cancel so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who have sought or are seeking asylum. The move will be carried out together with the Department of Homeland Security, according to State Department documents seen by AP and two US officials.A State Department spokesperson said the goal is to identify and cancel visas held by people who entered the US claiming to be short-term visitors, only to later apply for asylum so they can stay permanently. He would not say how many visas might ultimately be revoked, noting the number will keep changing as the process continues.Also read New US visa rule: Why Harvard wants international students back by Sept 15Most people with asylum cases already pending would be reclassified, but would lose their status as business or tourism travellers, according to officials who were not authorised to speak publicly since the plan isn’t final yet.‘Not a loophole’Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticised people who he said misuse tourist and business visas to enter the country and then claim asylum, arguing that public frustration with such claims is widespread. He said, “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”Story continues below this adHe pointed to the case of a Colombian national who arrived in the US on a tourist visa in 2015 before applying for asylum.What are B1 and B2 visas?B1 visas are usually issued for business trips, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits or medical treatment. Anyone applying for these visas must promise not to seek asylum in the US and show they intend to return home.Since Trump began his second term, his administration has steadily tightened visa rules asking for more social media history from applicants, requiring costly bonds, and banning visas outright for citizens of some countries. Over the past year and a half, the State Department has already cancelled around 175,000 visas linked to criminal convictions or accusations, as well as for people who spoke out publicly against US policy, particularly on the Middle East.Also read Trump moves to hike H-1B visa fee to over $100,000: What it means for IndiansThe administration has also targeted so-called “birth tourism,” though courts, including the Supreme Court, have rejected Trump’s attempts to end birthright citizenship altogether.Story continues below this ad‘Hire American’Alongside the visa crackdown, US Vice President JD Vance has thrown his support behind a new six-figure fee for most new H-1B visa applicants, set at $103,265 (approximately ₹98.9 lakh at current exchange rates). The figure replaces an earlier $100,000 fee (around ₹95.7 lakh) that was struck down by the courts.Most ReadSharing a Wall Street Journal report on the issue, Vance wrote on social media, “If an American corporation needs workers, it should hire and train Americans.”If an American corporation needs workers, it should hire and train Americans. https://t.co/C72ZYmONpK— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 24, 2026What exactly is being proposed?The Department of Homeland Security filed a proposal on Monday to set a $103,265 fee (about ₹98.9 lakh), payable when filing, for all H-1B cap-subject petitions including those that would normally qualify for an advanced degree exemption. This would come on top of all existing fees. DHS said the money would help cover the government’s costs of running the legal immigration system, spanning work by DHS itself along with the Departments of Justice, State and Labor. The public now has 30 days to submit comments on the plan.H-1B visas let foreign professionals work in the US in specialised fields. Applicants generally need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and the visa runs for three years, renewable for another three.The rule still needs to go through a formal process that could take months, especially if it faces legal challenges as the previous fee did. In June, a federal judge in Boston struck down Trump’s earlier $100,000 fee, ruling that the president did not have the authority to impose it and that only Congress can change federal immigration policy in that way. The judge treated the fee as effectively a tax, which only lawmakers can create.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement