The United States government has launched an unprecedented review of more than 55 million visa holders, a move that signals a sweeping expansion of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration. The review—announced on August 22, 2025—marks the administration’s latest effort to tighten control over who is allowed to enter and remain in the country, and it’s already sparking debate among legal experts, immigrant advocates, and American workers alike.
According to BBC and FRANCE 24, the State Department confirmed that all US visa holders, from tourists to students and temporary workers, will now be subject to “continuous vetting.” This means their eligibility for entry or continued stay in the US will be reassessed on an ongoing basis, using a broad array of data sources. The government’s stated goal: to identify and remove anyone who has violated the conditions of their visa, overstayed their authorized period, committed crimes, or posed a threat to public safety or national security.
“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance indicating a potential ineligibility,” the State Department told the Associated Press. If any such information is found, a visa may be revoked, and if the holder is currently in the US, they could be deported.
This massive review is not limited to those currently living in the United States. As Julia Gelatt, associate director of the US immigration policy program at the Migration Policy Institute, explained to FRANCE 24, “The 55 million figure suggests that some people subject to review would currently be outside the United States with multiple-entry tourist visas.” She questioned the wisdom of expending resources on people who may never return, but the administration appears determined to cast as wide a net as possible.
The new policy comes amid a series of increasingly restrictive immigration measures. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump has made anti-immigration policies a hallmark of his administration. These include mass deportations, the revocation of more than 6,000 student visas (with about 4,000 due to criminal infractions and 200–300 for terrorism-related issues), and sweeping travel bans affecting citizens from 12 countries, with partial restrictions on another seven. In May 2025, the administration was given temporary authority to revoke the legal status of over 500,000 migrants living in the US. Trump has also vowed to end birthright citizenship, a move that would overturn a long-standing interpretation of the Constitution.
The visa review process itself is multifaceted and, according to officials, increasingly sophisticated. It now includes social media vetting, with officers tasked to look for “any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.” Applicants must also submit to in-person interviews and, in a new twist, are required to disable privacy switches on their cellphones and electronic devices during these interviews, allowing for a complete review of their digital footprints.
State Department officers are further instructed to identify individuals who “advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to national security,” or who perpetrate “unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.” The administration has made it clear that its goal is to root out what it calls “anti-Americanism” from the pool of visa holders. “America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” said Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in a statement to BBC.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has played a prominent role in recent announcements. On August 21, 2025, he declared on X (formerly Twitter) that the US would “immediately” pause the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio wrote. The State Department later clarified that the pause would allow for a review of “screening and vetting protocols,” with the intention of ensuring that every driver on US roads “meets the highest standards.” The Transportation Department echoed these concerns, citing incidents where limited English proficiency among foreign drivers may have contributed to traffic deaths.
Not everyone agrees with the administration’s approach. Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told FRANCE 24 that foreign workers have helped address a labor shortage of commercial truck drivers. “This action should be seen as part of a concerted effort by the administration to discourage American companies and other institutions like universities and hospitals from hiring and retaining foreign workers,” Alden said. He warned that the economic consequences “will be far larger than just visas being stripped from foreign workers in a few job categories.”
The crackdown isn’t limited to truck drivers. In recent months, several foreign students have been arrested on US university campuses for participating in protests against Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip—a conflict in which the US remains a key supporter of Israel. The administration has also imposed a $15,000 deposit requirement for tourist and business visas from Malawi and Zambia, a move critics say will disproportionately affect travelers from those countries.
Visa applicants from most of the world’s most populous countries—including China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and most of Africa—are required to go through the full visa process, as they are not part of the 40-country Visa Waiver Program. That program grants nationals of mainly European and Asian countries a stay of up to three months without a visa. The new review, however, covers everyone with a valid visa, regardless of their country of origin.
Since President Trump’s return, the State Department says it has revoked more than twice as many visas, and nearly four times as many student visas, as during the same period the previous year. The administration’s supporters argue these measures are necessary to protect national security and public safety, pointing to instances of visa holders involved in criminal activity or support for terrorism. Detractors, meanwhile, contend that the sweeping scope of the review risks ensnaring innocent people, damaging America’s reputation as a welcoming nation, and harming the economy by discouraging foreign students, workers, and investors from coming to the US.
As the review unfolds, the full impact of these policies remains to be seen. For now, millions of visa holders—both inside and outside the United States—are left facing a new era of uncertainty, with the rules of entry and stay subject to change at a moment’s notice.