Trump administration revoked 85,000 US visas since January as officials tighten rules

The Donald Trump-led administration in the United States has revoked as many as 85,000 visas across various categories since January, CNN quoted a State Department official as saying. This is more than double the number recorded in 2024.

This comes amid the broader push by the US government to target immigrants in the country as well as limit who can come to the US. The official stated that the actions were taken to protect American communities, besides enforcing public-safety standards.

What to know?

The high number of US visa revocations included over 8,000 student visas. The State Department official highlighted on Monday, December 8, that major reasons behind revoking the visas included driving under the influence (DUIs), theft, and assaults. Altogether, these accounted for "almost half of the revocations in the past year," CNN quoted the official as saying.

No details were provided for the other half of the revocations in 2025. Earlier, the State Department justified visa revocations by pointing towards expirations and “support for terrorism”.

In October, some visas were revoked for those who allegedly "celebrated" the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. Also, the officials have targeted international students, who remained active in protests against the conflict in Gaza.

In August, an official from the department said that they planned to implement a “continuous vetting” policy for “all of the more than 55 million foreigners” holding valid US visas.

Stringent actions under Donald Trump

During the second term of the Trump administration, the State Department has broadened the criteria to scrutinise visa applications, allowing people to stay in the US.

Recently, an internal memo from the department stated that an individual involved in "censorship" of free speech can be considered for rejection, according to Reuters.

The US administration has increased vetting of H-1B visa applicants. This helps US employers to hire foreign workers across multiple speciality fields.

The memo was sent across all US missions on 2 December. Under this, consular officers will be required to review the resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants, as well as those of their accompanying family members.

"If you uncover evidence an applicant was responsible for, or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, you should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible," under a specific article of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Reuters quoted the memo as saying.

FAQs

1. Why did the Trump administration revoke 85,000 visas in 2025?

According to officials, visas were revoked for reasons like DUIs, theft, assaults, and other public-safety concerns. Some were also tied to protests or alleged support for harmful activities.

2. Which visa categories were most affected?

Over 8,000 revocations involved student visas, while the rest spanned multiple categories as part of the administration’s tighter vetting policy.