The United States has cancelled 85,000 visas this year across different categories, according to IANS, citing a senior State Department official. The official explained that this is part of a stronger push to keep American communities safe and make sure only people who meet all rules are allowed to enter the US. Out of these cancellations, more than 8,000 were student visas, over double the number cancelled last year.
US revoked 85,000 visas this year
The official said several visas were cancelled because of incidents like drunk driving (DUIs), assaults, and theft. These three reasons alone made up almost half of all cancellations this year. “These are people who pose a direct threat to our communities’ safety, and we do not want to have them in our country,” the official told IANS.
The department has previously mentioned factors like visa expirations and suspected support for terrorism as reasons behind the cancellations. These actions have also raised First Amendment questions. Officials have especially focused on international students who protested against the war in Gaza, accusing some of antisemitism or supporting terrorism. In June, US embassies were told to check student visa applicants for hostile views toward American people, culture, government, or institutions.
The official was also asked whether working in “fact-checking or content moderation”, such as jobs in social-media companies or civil-society groups, could lead to a visa denial under new Trump-era policies. They responded, “Freedom of speech is a core American value, and the Trump administration is protecting Americans from foreign nationals who try to censor them.”
They added that this is why Secretary Rubio started a visa restriction in May for foreigners who engage in censoring Americans online. However, the official clarified that visa decisions are not based on a single factor. “Consular officers look at the whole picture, the totality of someone’s circumstances, before deciding whether the person is eligible for a US visa,” they added
Stricter checks for high-risk applicants
The crackdown on visas has not stopped, according to the official, the government continues to maintain very strict checks, especially for people applying from high-risk regions. Speaking about Afghanistan, the official said the administration is concerned about security in the country after the US withdrawal in 2021. “We want to make sure we can properly vet and confirm that visa applicants won’t be a threat,” the official said.
The official told IANS that no visa will be issued until all security checks are complete, even if it takes extra time. “We will take as much time as it takes. We won’t issue a visa until we are certain the applicant does not pose a risk to Americans’ safety and security,” the official said.
In August, a State Department official said the agency would start continuously vetting all 55 million-plus foreigners who currently hold valid US visas. Under this updated policy, applicants are asked to keep their social media profiles public during the vetting process.