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Roughly 200,000 immigration visas linked to asylum fraud could soon be revoked as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up its immigration enforcement efforts. The historic crackdown follows a proposed rule that could add a $103,265 fee to all H-1B work visas.
The Visa-to-Asylum Fraud Pipeline
According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, State is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to find and cancel tourist or business visas held by foreign nationals who entered the country on a temporary basis but later sought asylum in an effort to remain in the United States permanently.
"These types of visas are issued with the clear understanding that they are for those who intend to return home. Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud -- which is grounds for visa revocation," Pigott noted. "This is an ongoing process as we uphold the integrity of our visa and asylum laws."
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Officials familiar with the effort said visa reviews will take place on an ongoing basis, potentially putting hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals at risk of losing their legal status. Of course, they should be well aware of that risk, because temporary visa applicants are required to affirm that they will not seek asylum and that they will return to their home countries.
“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau wrote in an X post. Refugee or asylum status is meant for foreigners who “have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and/or political opinion.”
Traveling to the United States on a temporary visa and then claiming asylum is a bit like booking a flight for yourself and a service dog, and then showing up to the airport with an “emotional support” chicken. That wasn’t the deal, and is the manipulation of a program designed to help people who are genuinely in need.
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws,” Landau added. “But the system has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims, meaning that it takes years to adjudicate whether applicants are actually entitled to asylum—during which time they can typically work, have children, and otherwise put down roots in our country.”
Officials suggest that foreign nationals whose visas are revoked won’t necessarily face immediate deportation, rather that pending cases will be re-examined.
Legal Immigration: A Hefty H1-B Fee
Just one day before news broke on the Trump administration’s effort to shut down the visa-to-asylum pipeline, the DHS proposed a new H-1B visa rule that would impose a $103,265 fee on workers.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Zach Kahler said the potential H-1B fee is meant to cover the government’s costs for processing applications, conducting vetting, and administering legal immigration programs instead of leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. The visas are widely used by employers in the tech, education, and research sectors.
Last year, the Trump administration imposed a similar fee, but it was blocked by a federal judge. An appeals court is currently reviewing the decision. The new DHS rule, however, would permanently establish the $103,265 fee.
The pair of policies sends a clear message from the Trump administration: Only lawful immigration will be tolerated, and even then, foreign nationals looking to live and work in the United States must ultimately benefit the American people.
