Washington, November 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The US State Department has revoked more than 300,000 visas under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing the figure as the highest in American history, as the Trump administration intensifies its review of foreign nationals holding US visas.
The figures were released in a series of posts on the department’s official X account late Saturday.
“Under @SecRubio’s leadership, the State Department has undertaken an unprecedented review of U.S. visa holders, resulting in the revocations of over 300,000 visas — the most in American history,” the department said.
It stated that most of the cancellations were linked to criminal conduct, public safety concerns or violations of visa eligibility requirements.
“The vast majority of these revocations were due to criminal activity, public safety concerns, immigration violations, fraud or misrepresentation, or other information indicating the individual was no longer eligible for a visa,” the department said.
The department also disclosed that more than 4,000 visas had been revoked for birth tourism, a practice in which foreign nationals travel to the US to give birth so their children can acquire American citizenship.
“Among the 4,000 visas revoked for birth tourism, over 700 belonged to Chinese nationals,” it added.
The State Department also highlighted the work of a new vetting unit established within its Bureau of Consular Affairs.
According to the department, the Bureau set up a Continuous Vetting Center in Washington, DC, in 2025, which has revoked more than 23,000 visas.
Most of the cancellations made through the centre were linked to criminal activity or other public safety concerns, it said.
The department provided a breakdown of the reasons for these revocations, stating that 25 per cent involved assault and related crimes, 22 per cent were linked to driving under the influence, 7 per cent to theft and another 7 per cent to substance abuse or distribution.
“A visa is a privilege, not a right. Under @SecRubio’s leadership, we will continue to ensure that those who violate our laws are not permitted to remain in our country,” the department said.
However, the State Department did not provide a country-wise breakdown of the total visa revocations, apart from the figure for Chinese nationals in the birth tourism category.
It also did not disclose how many revoked visas belonged to Indian nationals, who form one of the largest groups of international students and skilled workers in the United States.
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