Around 8,000 student visas cancelled in 2025 over criminal records
January 13, 2026: The United States has revoked more than 100,000 visas in 2025 as part of an intensified immigration crackdown, including nearly 8,000 student visas, citing criminal activity. The US State Department said the action was aimed at protecting public safety, stressing that visas were cancelled for foreign nationals charged or convicted of offences such as assault, theft and drunken driving. “We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe,” the department said, adding that 2,500 specialised visas were also revoked following encounters with law enforcement.
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the scale of revocations marks a sharp rise compared to previous years, with the 2025 figure more than double the 40,000 visas cancelled in 2024, the final year of the Biden administration. While most revocations involved business and tourist visas due to overstays, officials said thousands of students and specialised workers lost their visas for criminal violations. Among specialised workers, drunken driving, assault and theft-related charges accounted for the majority of cancellations, according to a Fox News report.
The Trump administration has signalled that strict enforcement will continue through a new “continuous vetting centre,” underscoring its “America First” approach. The crackdown has also extended to legal immigration, with enhanced screening of H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, including social media checks, leading to delays and postponed interviews in countries such as India. US authorities have reiterated that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and that all available information will be used to identify individuals who may pose a risk to national security or public safety.