US State Department Cancels Over 300,000 Visas in Record Review

Visa Cancellations

More than 300,000 US visas have been cancelled under the current administration, marking the highest number of such cancellations in American history. The Department of State shared these figures on its official X account, showing a rapid increase in revocations over recent months. In August, the total number of cancelled visas since January 2025 stood at over 175,000. The department stated that Secretary Rubio led an unprecedented review of people holding US visas.

Reasons and Birth Tourism

Most of these visa cancellations happened due to criminal acts, safety risks, immigration rule breaks, fraud, or false information that made the person ineligible. Over 4,000 visas were cancelled specifically for birth tourism, which is when people travel to the United States to give birth so their child gets American citizenship. Out of those 4,000 birth tourism cases, more than 700 visas belonged to Chinese nationals. The data did not show a full country-wise breakdown for all 300,000 cancellations, and it did not mention how many Indian students or workers were affected.

Vetting Center Actions

The Trump administration created a Continuous Vetting Center in Washington, DC, under the Bureau of Consular Affairs in 2025. This center cancelled over 23,000 visas. The majority of these specific cancellations were tied to crimes or safety issues. This includes 25 percent for assault and related crimes, 22 percent for driving under the influence, 7 percent for theft, and 7 percent for drug-related offences. The State Department stated that a visa is a privilege rather than a right and that officials will keep making sure lawbreakers do not stay in the country.

Context

Visa holders in the United States must continuously meet legal and safety standards throughout their stay, not just when they first enter the country. Governments regularly review foreign nationals to check for new criminal records or immigration violations that could change their visa status. This large-scale review shows a tightening of immigration enforcement and border security measures by US authorities.