Federal agencies announced several immigration-related actions and policies the week of Aug. 18-22 that could impact employers, including an ongoing review of all U.S. visas.

Key Points:

  • Nationwide U.S. visa review: Responding to a direct query from the Associated Press, on Aug. 21 the State Department said that all U.S. visa holders, which can include tourists from many countries, are subject to “continuous vetting.” The Trump administration also reportedly said it is currently reviewing more than 55 million people with valid U.S. visas for any violations that could lead to deportation or ineligibility to enter or stay in the U.S.
  • Student visa revocations: CNN reported that a State Department official said on Aug. 18 that the agency had revoked more than 6,000 student visas this year, adding that “approximately 4,000 of the 6,000 visas were revoked because the visa holders ‘broke the law.’” Expired student visas were also revoked. According to a 2024 report by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 1,132,465 students with F-1 visas (i.e., student visas) sought either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the U.S. in calendar year 2024, and 214,824 F-1 students sought a doctoral degree in the same calendar year.
  • Worker visas paused for commercial truck drivers: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on the platform X on Aug. 21, “Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.” CBS News reported that a State Department spokesperson said the pause was implemented “in order to conduct a comprehensive and thorough review of screening and vetting protocols used to determine their qualifications for a U.S. visa.”

At the time of publication, the respective federal agencies have not publicly released further details on the above developments. BAL will continue following these and other immigration developments and will provide updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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