WASHINGTON: The United States has cancelled more than 100,000 visas, including those of around 8,000 international students, as part of strict enforcement measures introduced under president Donald Trump’s administration, according to the US State Department.
The State Department said that during the first year of Trump’s presidency, over 100,000 visas were revoked. These included visas issued for business and tourism to individuals who continued to stay in the United States even after their permitted duration had expired.
Officials confirmed that among those affected were nearly 8,000 students and around 2,500 individuals who had entered the country for employment purposes. Most of these cases involved people with criminal records or those found guilty of violating US immigration laws.
The State Department said visas were also cancelled on grounds of serious offences, including driving under the influence of alcohol, acts of violence, theft, child abuse, drug trafficking, and financial fraud.
US authorities stressed that deportation and visa cancellation operations would continue as part of efforts to ensure national security and public safety.
It may be recalled that in August last year, the Trump administration had announced a large-scale review of nearly 55 million visas as part of its broader immigration crackdown.