Students affected as US revokes 85,000 visas

The U.S. State Department has revoked an estimated 85,000 visas over the past year, affecting both foreign nationals and international students at an unprecedented scale.

Officials say the rise in cancellations is tied to heightened concerns about public safety, but immigrant-rights groups argue the expanded standards may end up punishing people whose actions pose no real threat.

A State Department representative confirmed that more than 8,000 international students were among those impacted, more than twice the figure from the year before.

While some visa withdrawals stemmed from alleged criminal offences, including DUI, assault, and theft, authorities noted that the sharp increase is also linked to tougher screening measures and a more forceful stance on behaviour viewed as a security risk.

“These are individuals we believe present a direct risk to community safety,” the official said, noting that consular officers have been instructed to apply a wider interpretation of conduct that could affect a person’s visa eligibility.

The tighter scrutiny now spans several visa categories. In recent weeks, the government has directed consular offices to introduce additional checks for H-1B applicants, a visa route heavily relied upon by tech companies and specialised employers recruiting skilled workers abroad.

According to internal guidelines cited by U.S. media, consular officers have also been told to deny visas to applicants believed to be involved in activities that “impede or suppress protected speech” in the U.S., a standard immigration analysts describe as unusually broad and difficult to evaluate.