Washington is preparing what could become the largest mass visa revocation in US history, targeting holders of business and tourist visas who later applied for asylum. Nigerians are not specifically targeted, but the policy adds another layer to an already restrictive US visa regime.
The United States is preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by foreign nationals who entered the country as temporary visitors and later applied for asylum.
The State Department said it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify affected travellers. The visas involved are B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, according to State Department documents obtained by the Associated Press.
The US government has not published an official figure for the number of people involved. The Associated Press estimates that as many as 200,000 visas could ultimately be revoked. If that figure is reached, it would be the largest single mass visa revocation in US history.
Nigeria has not been singled out in the new action, and no nationality breakdown has been released.
A person is not affected simply because they hold a B1/B2 visa. The proposed revocations concern people who also filed an asylum claim in the United States.
Who is affected?
B1 visas are generally used for temporary business travel, including meetings, conferences and contract negotiations. B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical treatment. Many travellers receive a combined B1/B2 visa. The US State Department classifies all three as non-immigrant visitor visas.
Washington’s position is that somebody who applies for such a visa presents themselves as a temporary visitor who intends to leave the United States.
The State Department now argues that filing for asylum after entering as a visitor can conflict with that original intention.
“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.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has also accused some applicants of using asylum claims to circumvent immigration rules.
The government has not said that every asylum claim made by a visitor is fraudulent. US law allows people who meet the relevant legal requirements to seek asylum.
The administration is instead using its visa authority against the temporary visitor status held by people who subsequently seek to remain permanently.
Revocation does not mean immediate deportation
Losing a B1 or B2 visa would not automatically mean that an asylum seeker is immediately deported.
US officials told the Associated Press that many people with pending asylum applications would be reclassified while their cases continue. They would, however, lose their status as business or tourism travellers.
That difference is important.
A visa is permission to seek entry into the United States under a particular category. An asylum application is a separate immigration process.
The proposed policy therefore attacks the visitor visa held by the applicant without necessarily deciding the underlying asylum case at the same time.
Legal challenges are also expected because of the scale of the action.
Nigerians already face tighter US visa rules
The latest development comes after a series of restrictions that have made US travel considerably more difficult for Nigerians.
Since January 1, 2026, the United States has partially suspended the issuance of B1/B2 visitor visas, student visas and several other categories to Nigerian nationals, subject to limited exceptions. Importantly, the proclamation did not cancel visas that were already valid when it took effect.
BEA previously explained what the restrictions mean for Nigerians who already hold valid US visas.
The new asylum-related action is different.
Unlike the January proclamation, which explicitly protected visas already issued before its effective date, the latest plan is specifically about revoking existing B1 and B2 visas belonging to people identified as asylum applicants.
That means some travellers whose old visas survived earlier restrictions could still be affected if they subsequently sought asylum in the United States.
Nigeria is also on the visa bond list
Nigeria has faced another restriction since January.
The US State Department added Nigerian nationals to its visa bond programme from January 21, 2026. Under the current system, some applicants who otherwise qualify for a business or tourist visa can be required to provide financial security before the visa is issued.
BEA recently examined how the US visa bond can affect Nigerian business travellers, including the working capital implications for entrepreneurs and companies sending employees to the United States.
There is a connection between the two policies.
Under the bond regime, applying for asylum or attempting to change out of the visitor status can result in forfeiture of the bond. The new revocation plan goes further by targeting the underlying B1/B2 visa itself.
Together, the measures show that Washington is paying closer attention to whether people who enter as temporary visitors subsequently attempt to remain.
Nigerian business travellers face a narrower route
The tightening is particularly relevant for founders, executives and professionals who travel to the United States for conferences, investor meetings and commercial negotiations.
The State Department’s reciprocity schedule currently lists Nigerian B1, B2 and B1/B2 visas as single-entry visas with three months’ validity.
New issuance is already limited by the partial suspension introduced in January, while some qualifying applicants can also face a visa bond.
The proposed asylum-related revocations do not create a general prohibition on Nigerian business travel.
They do reinforce the importance of the purpose under which a traveller enters the country.
For businesses sending employees to the US, immigration status can no longer be treated simply as a matter of obtaining a visa and booking a flight. Visa category, length of stay and any attempt to change immigration status after entry can have consequences for future travel.
What Nigerians should understand
There are three points to keep separate.
First, the US is not revoking 200,000 Nigerian visas. The figure is a global estimate from the Associated Press, and the State Department has not provided a country-by-country breakdown.
Second, ordinary B1/B2 holders who have not sought asylum are not the target described in the current plan.
Third, even for asylum seekers, visa revocation would not necessarily mean immediate removal from the United States. Their asylum cases may continue under a different immigration classification.
What has changed is the US government’s willingness to treat a subsequent asylum application as grounds to revisit the temporary visa on which a foreign national originally entered.
