The State Department says it has revoked more than 300,000 visas since January 2025, a figure it calls the most in American history. The department first gave the number on October 20 and repeated it in a November 1 statement that added new detail on birth tourism and a new vetting unit.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X that the administration has revoked more visas, at a faster pace, than any before it. He said the government has zero tolerance for visa holders who break the law, commit fraud or undermine national security.
How the visa revocation count has grown
The total has risen quickly through 2026. The department reported more than 100,000 revocations in January and more than 175,000 in August, before passing 300,000 in October, Al Jazeera reported.
| Reported | Visas revoked since January 2025 |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | More than 100,000 |
| August 2026 | More than 175,000 |
| October 2026 | More than 300,000 |
What the department says drove the revocations
The department said most revocations involved criminal activity, public safety concerns, immigration violations, fraud or misrepresentation, or other information showing a person was no longer eligible. An official told Al Jazeera that, among criminal and public safety cases, 25% involved assault and related crimes, 22% driving under the influence, 7% theft and 7% drug use or distribution.
In its November 1 statement, the department said more than 4,000 visas were revoked for birth tourism, including more than 700 held by Chinese nationals. It said a Continuous Vetting Center created inside the Bureau of Consular Affairs in 2025 accounted for more than 23,000 revocations. Our earlier report covers the department’s birth tourism visa restrictions.
What the figures do not show
The department has not released a breakdown by visa category or nationality, beyond the birth tourism figure. It has not said how many visa holders were inside the United States when their visas were revoked, or how many revocations led to Removal proceedingsThe formal court process, formerly called deportation, in which the government seeks to remove a noncitizen from the United States.See it in the glossary.
A visa is a travel document used to seek entry. Once revoked, it can no longer be used to travel to the United States. For someone already inside the country, the visa and the person’s immigration status are separate, and a revocation does not by itself decide whether that status continues.
Part of wider visa screening changes
The revocations come alongside expanded vetting of visa applicants, including social media review. Our reports explain social media screening for TN, TD and I visas and how social media can affect a visa application.