The United States government has announced that it is reviewing the records of more than 55 million valid visa holders for possible violations of immigration rules.
The Department of State confirmed on Thursday that all foreigners with U.S. visas are subject to what it called “continuous vetting”, a process that examines whether any new information renders them ineligible to keep their visas.
“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,” a State Department spokesperson said.
According to the department, grounds for revocation include visa overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, involvement in terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization. If such information is discovered, the visa will be cancelled. Those already in the United States at the time of cancellation would be subject to deportation.
This is in line with the immigration crackdown launched by President Donald Trump after taking office in January 2025.
While officials initially stated that enforcement would target dangerous criminals, enforcement has widened to include individuals with legal status.
The New York Times reported this week that the government is on track to deport 400,000 people in 2025, a scale not seen in more than a decade.
Immigration agents have conducted raids in restaurants, construction sites, farms, and even courthouses, detaining individuals attending civil appointments related to their legal status. The administration has also moved to limit Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole, which had allowed hundreds of thousands of people to live and work legally in the United States.
Student Visa Revocations
Since January, the State Department has revoked 6,000 student visas. Of these, approximately 4,000 cases involved violations of U.S. law, including assault, driving under the influence, burglary, and support for terrorism, according to officials. The remainder were linked to overstays and other infractions.
Earlier this year, the government introduced new requirements for foreign students, who are now asked to provide access to their social media accounts during the visa application process.
Social Media and “Anti-American Activity”
The administration has also expanded the scope of immigration vetting to include online activity. On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that officials will now review applicants’ social media posts for signs of “anti-American activity”.
“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said.
The government’s latest guidance instructs immigration officers to also examine whether applicants promote antisemitic ideologies, citing recent protests on U.S. campuses against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The announcement came shortly before Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the U.S. would pause the issuance of all worker visas for commercial truck drivers. Rubio argued that foreign drivers were “endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
