U.S. State Department to revoke up to 200,000 B1 and B2 visas; Serbs among the affected?

The State Department is expected to begin revoking so-called B1 and B2 visas in the coming weeks. The visas, issued between 2016 and 2026, would be revoked for holders who have applied for asylum or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, the AP reported.

The measure is being carried out in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“We are coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas held by foreign nationals who came to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then applied for asylum in order to remain here permanently,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

He declined to confirm how many visas could be revoked, saying the process would be carried out gradually and that the number would vary.

Officials said that visa revocation would not automatically result in immediate deportation.

Most people whose asylum applications are pending would be reclassified, but they would lose their status as business or tourist visitors.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticized individuals who, according to him, use business and tourist visas to enter the United States and then file asylum applications.

“Asylum should not be a loophole for circumventing immigration laws,” he wrote on the social media platform X.

B1 visas are generally issued for business travel, while B2 visas are intended for tourism, visits to family and friends, or medical treatment.

Applicants for these visas must confirm that they do not intend to seek asylum in the United States and must demonstrate that they plan to return to their home countries.

Over the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked around 175,000 visas from people who had been convicted of or charged with criminal offenses, including driving under the influence, rape and robbery, as well as from individuals who publicly criticized U.S. policy, particularly regarding the Middle East.

State Department documents obtained by the AP indicate that the review of current B1 and B2 visa holders was launched after the State Department received information on asylum applications from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).