The State Department has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump returned to office, as a bundle of new US immigration rules took effect on October 1, 2026, the first day of fiscal year 2027.

The revocations cover breaches of visa conditions, criminal activity, fraud, abuse of the immigration system, and national security concerns, the department said. About 2,300 cases involved so-called birth tourism, in which pregnant foreign nationals travel to the US to give birth.

"Every visa decision is a national security decision," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, describing the revocations as part of an expanded vetting effort.

The crackdown builds on a wave of cancellations the State Department disclosed in August 2026, when it said it had revoked more than 175,000 visas. Most of those cases stemmed from encounters with law enforcement for offences such as assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug-related crimes. Other cited grounds included reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, and embezzlement.

What changes on October 1?

The new fiscal year brings changes for green card applicants, visa holders, some non-citizens on public health coverage, and additional visa categories facing social media vetting.

• Employment-based green card limits reset, allowing some categories to advance under the new fiscal year's allocation.
• Social media screening expands to foreign media representatives on I visas and to Canadian and Mexican professionals under TN and TD classifications, who must make their profiles public for review.
• Medicaid and CHIP eligibility tightens for certain non-citizens receiving benefits under those programmes.

The State Department says it draws on information from available sources during visa screening to determine eligibility and whether applicants pose national security or public safety concerns.

Who is targeted in the new enforcement?

The State Department has also revoked visas of 27 current or former officials and family members from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru over corruption allegations.

Separately, the administration is preparing to revoke B1 and B2 business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who entered the US and subsequently applied for asylum. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has criticised "bogus asylum claims," arguing the system was meant to protect people facing persecution rather than bypass immigration rules. The administration says a large number of asylum applications have contributed to a substantial backlog, with some cases taking years to resolve.

Which green card dates matter most?

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin is closely watched by Indian employment-based applicants, who face some of the longest waits.

• EB-1 (India): final-action date of February 1, 2023
• EB-2 (India): November 1, 2013
• EB-3 (India): January 1, 2014

The State Department exhausted its fiscal 2026 EB-2 India allocation in May 2026, but annual limits reset on October 1, allowing qualified applicants to receive visas under the new fiscal year's allocation. Some categories for applicants from countries not subject to special per-country limits also retrogressed. Applicants adjusting status inside the US must follow separate instructions issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Where does this leave applicants?

For immigrants already in the US or waiting for applications to be processed, the consequences will vary according to visa category, country of chargeability, immigration status, and priority date.

The October 1 changes combine two strands of administration policy: greater scrutiny and enforcement against some foreign nationals, alongside the reopening of certain employment-based green card categories. The full text of the bulletin is published on the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs website.