In a significant escalation of border and national security enforcement, the U.S. State Department has canceled more than 95,000 visas so far in 2025.
The updated figures, confirmed by Fox News on Friday, reveal a rapid acceleration in enforcement actions. Just weeks ago, that number sat at approximately 85,000, indicating that authorities have voided an additional 10,000 travel documents in a matter of days.
The State Department has confirmed that more than 8,000 international students are among those whose visas have been revoked this year. This news is shifting the conversation from general immigration stats to the very real impact on U.S. campuses. For many, these aren’t just numbers, they represent students whose academic careers have been suddenly derailed.
READ: U.S. visa applicants must now apply in their home country: State Department (
While the 95,000 cancellations span various categories, the impact is being felt most acutely in two areas: high-skilled work and higher education. This aggressive wave of revocations marks a clear shift in policy under the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading a department of state that has significantly tightened the screws on vetting and compliance.
It isn’t just one group feeling the heat. The administration is casting a wide net:
- Work visas (H-1B): Even high-skilled workers are facing unprecedented scrutiny. Many H-1B holders, who are often the backbone of the tech and engineering sectors, are finding their permits under review or revoked as the administration prioritizes a “buy American, hire American” philosophy.
- Student visas: Although students make up a smaller percentage of the total 95,000, the personal and professional fallout for them is uniquely severe.
Under Rubio’s leadership, the State Department is moving away from the “status quo” of years past. The message is clear: a visa is a privilege that can be pulled at any moment if a holder falls outside the administration’s increasingly narrow safety and security criteria.
READ: State Department expands online vetting for H-1B, H-4 visas: What applicants should know (
The recent confirmation that over 8,000 student visas have been voided in 2025 has sent a wave of anxiety through university halls. University administrators are reporting a growing sense of unease among their international populations. The sheer scale of these revocations suggests that “routine” student life is now subject to a much higher level of federal scrutiny.
As the wave of revocations continues to swell toward the 100,000 mark, a new sense of urgency has taken hold across American college campuses. While the vast majority of international students are currently in good standing, the fact that over 8,000 peers have already lost their status has turned compliance into a daily survival tactic.
Students and university administrators alike are now glued to State Department updates, knowing that in this climate of heightened scrutiny, even a minor oversight can lead to a life-altering cancellation.