The Trump administration has begun a sweeping review of more than 55 million people who currently hold valid U.S. visas, with the State Department confirming that all foreign nationals on visas are subject to “continuous vetting” for potential ineligibility and possible revocation. The move, first reported by the Associated Press, means visas may be cancelled if officials find indicators such as overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, terror activity, or material support to terrorist organizations. If a visa is revoked while the individual is in the United States, they would become subject to deportation. The State Department also said that since January, more than 6,000 student visas have been revoked for overstays and various violations, most commonly for criminal offenses and alleged support for terrorism.
The review coincides with a broader tightening of immigration screening. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it is expanding social-media checks and will consider whether applicants have espoused “anti-American” or antisemitic ideologies when adjudicating immigration benefits. A USCIS spokesperson said immigration benefits are “a privilege, not a right,” underscoring the agency’s commitment to rigorous screening.
State Department officials reiterated that continuous vetting applies even after a visa is issued and the holder has entered the country, a posture framed as a national-security safeguard. Independent reporting also details new scrutiny of student and exchange visas, with some applicants required to provide access to their online activity during the application process.
The administration’s latest guidance follows several months of stepped-up actions targeting short-term visas and student categories, including episodic pauses in processing and subsequent reinstatements of some students whose visas were initially revoked. Officials have also suggested that activities connected to campus protests could be weighed in the broader assessment of eligibility, a stance that civil-liberties advocates warn risks conflating protected speech with national security concerns.
The policy evolution builds on a years-long trend toward deeper digital scrutiny that began with expanded social-media collection under “extreme vetting” protocols introduced in 2017. Then, consular officers were authorized to request supplemental information—including five years of social-media identifiers—via the DS-5535 form for applicants warranting additional review. While that earlier regime targeted a small subset of cases, the current framework extends active monitoring to all visa holders and explicitly elevates ideological criteria in certain adjudications. Legal groups argue that such standards are vague and could chill speech or enable viewpoint discrimination, while the administration contends the measures are necessary to protect public safety and U.S. interests.
Policy analysts note the operational and diplomatic ramifications of universal post-issuance vetting: resources could be diverted to screening individuals who live abroad on multi-entry tourist visas and may not reenter the United States soon, and allies could respond with reciprocal measures. Universities and business groups, meanwhile, warn that heightened uncertainty could deter international students and skilled workers, complicating recruitment and harming U.S. competitiveness.
For now, the immediate effect is twofold: an expansive State Department review that can trigger real-time visa cancellations and removals, and a USCIS adjudications posture that explicitly scrutinizes online speech and associations for signs of “anti-Americanism” or antisemitism. Administration officials maintain that the effort targets public-safety risks and legal violations. Critics say the scope and ideology-based elements raise First Amendment and due-process concerns that are likely to be tested in court.
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