Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Trump administration is moving to tighten two major pathways into the United States, preparing to revoke as many as 200,000 business and tourist visas while proposing a new six-figure fee for many H-1B skilled-worker visas.
The planned mass revocation would target foreign nationals who entered the United States on temporary B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas issued between 2016 and 2026 and later sought asylum.
As many as 200,000 people could be affected. If carried out, it would represent the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
Applicants for B-1 and B-2 visas are generally required to demonstrate that their stay in the United States will be temporary and that they intend to return home.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the planned crackdown Monday, writing on X that “asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws.”
The administration has increasingly scrutinized how visas are issued and used. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized earlier this year that a visa is not a guaranteed right.
“A visa, no one is entitled to a visa,” Rubio said in February. “There is no constitutional right to a visa. A visa is a permission to enter our country as a visitor.”
Revocation, however, would not necessarily mean immediate deportation. People with pending asylum claims could still have their cases considered, but would no longer retain their status as business or tourist travelers.
At the same time, the administration is moving to reshape the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for specialized occupations.
The Department of Homeland Security is proposing an additional $103,265 fee for many new H-1B visas. The impact could be particularly significant for the technology sector, which relies heavily on the program, but could also extend to manufacturing, finance, education and health care.
The administration imposed a similar $100,000 fee last year, but a federal judge struck it down in June. The government is now seeking to implement the policy through the federal rulemaking process.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/nation-world/trump-administration-moves-to-revoke-200000-visas-impose-103k-h-1b-fee-temporary-asylum-claims-marco-rubio
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The Trump administration is moving to tighten two major pathways into the United States, preparing to revoke as many as 200,000 business and tourist visas while proposing a new six-figure fee for many H-1B skilled-worker visas.
The planned mass revocation would target foreign nationals who entered the United States on temporary B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas issued between 2016 and 2026 and later sought asylum.
As many as 200,000 people could be affected. If carried out, it would represent the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
Applicants for B-1 and B-2 visas are generally required to demonstrate that their stay in the United States will be temporary and that they intend to return home.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the planned crackdown Monday, writing on X that “asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws.”
The administration has increasingly scrutinized how visas are issued and used. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized earlier this year that a visa is not a guaranteed right.
“A visa, no one is entitled to a visa,” Rubio said in February. “There is no constitutional right to a visa. A visa is a permission to enter our country as a visitor.”
Revocation, however, would not necessarily mean immediate deportation. People with pending asylum claims could still have their cases considered, but would no longer retain their status as business or tourist travelers.
At the same time, the administration is moving to reshape the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for specialized occupations.
The Department of Homeland Security is proposing an additional $103,265 fee for many new H-1B visas. The impact could be particularly significant for the technology sector, which relies heavily on the program, but could also extend to manufacturing, finance, education and health care.
The administration imposed a similar $100,000 fee last year, but a federal judge struck it down in June. The government is now seeking to implement the policy through the federal rulemaking process.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/nation-world/trump-administration-moves-to-revoke-200000-visas-impose-103k-h-1b-fee-temporary-asylum-claims-marco-rubio
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13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A
For more information, visit 13wham.com
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
