Trump Administration Tightens U.S. Visa Rules: 250,000 Visas Revoked, a One-Stop Guide to the Latest Changes in U.S. Visa Regulations

This video provides a detailed breakdown of the latest changes to U.S. visa policies following the return of the Trump administration. The content covers the screening and revocation of visas for B1/B2 visa holders who applied for asylum, the suspension of immigrant visas and public charge reviews, the expansion of social media screening, strengthened enforcement against immigration and nationality fraud, a proposal for a $100,000 H1B work visa fee, adjustments to the H1B grace period for unemployment, and the already implemented H1B wage-weighted lottery system.

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State Department officials stated that since U.S. President Trump returned to the White House in 2025, 250,000 foreign visas have been revoked thus far, primarily due to criminal activities. The State Department has also begun urging the public to report visa fraud and overstays around them. Recent changes to U.S. visa policies have come one after another, making U.S. visas a subject of particular attention for many Chinese people recently. Today, we will use a few simple questions to help you understand all the changes in U.S. visa policies at once. Who are these 200,000 people? They are not ordinary tourists and business travelers; this time, the U.S. government is targeting individuals who entered the United States on B1 or B2 visas and subsequently applied for asylum. The B1 is a business visitor visa, such as for attending meetings, negotiating business, or participating in business activities in the United States, while the B2 is the more familiar short-term visitor visa for tourism, visiting family, seeking medical treatment, and so on. Many Chinese citizens hold U.S. 10-year tourist visas, which are primarily B1 and B2 visas. This time, the U.S. government's approach is to identify those who originally entered the United States as short-term visitors and later filed asylum applications seeking to stay in the United States long-term. According to the State Department, they are working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify such individuals and revoke their non-immigrant visas. The B1 and B2 visas involved in this action could reach 200,000.

So, does the revocation of a visa mean immediate deportation? The official answer is not necessarily. For those already in the United States awaiting asylum rulings, their ability to remain in the U.S. primarily depends on the asylum cases currently under review. However, for these individuals, their B1/B2 visitor status will certainly be affected. This is true, but as for how long the suspension will last, the Associated Press reported that officials stated this suspension is temporary. Some interviews originally scheduled for August may be rescheduled to September, October, or November. The reason for the suspension is that the U.S. government needs to retrain consular officers around the world to review applicants according to new standards regarding whether they might become a public charge—that is, to assess whether a foreigner, after immigrating to the U.S., would primarily rely on government-provided benefits to live. Therefore, those who will be affected are people currently applying for U.S. immigrant visas overseas, especially those who need to process immigrant visas at U.S. embassies and consulates, such as family-based immigration. Non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourism or students, are not within the scope of this suspension. However, we can see that financial vetting for immigrant visas may become stricter in the future, and the U.S. government will place greater importance on whether applicants can support themselves after coming to the U.S. If a consular officer believes that an applicant may rely on government benefits in the future, it could affect whether the visa is approved.

The United States is expanding its vetting of visa applicants' social media and online information. Starting in December 2025, the U.S. Department of State required F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visa applicants, as well as H-1B work visa and H-4 dependent visa applicants, to set their social media accounts to public. In March 2026, the State Department further expanded this to include more visa applicants, such as K-category fiancés and their dependents. In other words, for these visa applicants, in addition to application documents, consular officers may also review their public social media and other online information. Even if one has already obtained a green card or even become a citizen, it does not mean that fraud committed during the immigration application process will no longer be pursued. The Trump administration has recently been significantly strengthening enforcement against immigration fraud. On October 5, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had filed lawsuits in multiple district courts to revoke the citizenship of 40 individuals accused of serious crimes, including two individuals of Chinese descent who were accused of crimes such as acting as agents for a foreign government and engaging in espionage. Since June 2026, the Department of Justice has consecutively announced multiple cases of citizenship revocation, with reasons including immigration fraud, concealment of criminal records, and more. Revoking status is not a new regulation; the policy manual of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services clearly states that if the U.S. government later discovers that a person originally obtained permanent resident status through a sham marriage, providing false information, or other fraudulent means, the government can revoke that status according to the law. Once permanent resident status is revoked, the individual may also face deportation.

The $100,000 H1B fee that once caused a huge uproar has made a comeback, and this time the fee is even higher. I believe many viewers are no stranger to the H1B; it is a work visa that allows U.S. companies to hire foreign professional talent, and it is particularly common in industries such as technology and engineering. Last September, the Trump administration suddenly announced that an additional $100,000 would have to be paid for H1B visas. After the news was announced, foreign employees and companies in the U.S. were very nervous; some companies even advised employees not to travel abroad temporarily, and employees already overseas were urged to return to the U.S. as soon as possible. At the time, the details were not yet clear, but this measure was later ruled illegal by a federal district court. However, this new regulation has been proposed again this year, with the amount increasing to $103,265. If passed, it will affect new applicants who need to participate in the H1B lottery. This fee is not paid by the foreign employee themselves, but by the U.S. employer filing the H1B application. Therefore, if this proposal is eventually implemented, it may cause some employers to reconsider whether to hire foreign talent. However, this is currently only a proposal and has not yet officially taken effect; the government is currently seeking public comment before deciding whether to issue a final rule. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security recently proposed considering the cancellation of the 60-day grace period for H1B holders after they become unemployed. If the proposal is finally implemented, the individuals concerned may need to leave the U.S. more quickly after their employment ends. Currently, this remains just a proposal and has not officially taken effect. As for another H1B-related measure that has already taken effect and is being implemented, it is the shift to a wage-weighted lottery. Previously, when the number of H1B applications exceeded the quota, it was basically a random lottery, and in principle, everyone who met the qualifications had an equal chance of being selected. But now, employers must provide the salary level of the position when registering, and the higher the salary level, the higher the weight of being selected. This system has been in effect since February 27, 2026.