Worldwide vacationers heading to the U.S. could quickly have to supply 5 years of social media historical past to enter the nation, following a proposal from U.S. Customs and Border Safety.
The proposal filed within the Federal Register on Wednesday would require vacationers to submit the net info when filling out an Digital System for Journey Authorization software. This is applicable to vacationers from visa waiver program international locations who plan to remain within the U.S. for as much as 90 days, together with these from the UK, France, Italy, Greece, Japan and Australia.
Moreover, the proposal would add “high-value information fields” to the ESTA software, together with any electronic mail addresses used within the final 10 years, phone numbers used prior to now 5 years and knowledge on vacationers’ members of the family (and their cellphone numbers). Vacationers would even be required to incorporate the IP addresses and metadata of any pictures submitted electronically, together with biometric info, together with from their face, fingerprints, iris or DNA.
The CBP mentioned it additionally plans to make selfies a compulsory a part of the applying along with a photograph of vacationers’ passports.
The submitting within the Federal Register comes with a 60-day remark interval wherein “the general public and affected companies” can weigh in.
At present, vacationers who’re eligible for the visa waiver program are merely required to supply an electronic mail deal with, their residence deal with, their cellphone quantity and an emergency contact along with paying a $40 software payment (a rise this 12 months from the earlier price of $21). The journey authorization is then legitimate for 2 years.
Offering social media info has been an elective a part of the applying since 2016, in accordance with The New York Instances.
Xiao Wang, the co-founder and chief govt of Boundless, a visa- and immigration-assistance firm, instructed the paper he expects the federal government to now view a scarcity of social media info as “an indication that the applicant is hiding one thing.”
A CBP spokesperson instructed The New York Instances that the proposal was not a ultimate rule however reasonably the “first step in beginning a dialogue to have new coverage choices to maintain the American folks protected.”
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Erik Hansen, the senior vice chairman and head of presidency relations for the U.S. Journey Affiliation, instructed TPG the group was “reviewing the proposed modifications and dealing with the administration to make sure we are able to safely and effectively welcome thousands and thousands of holiday makers for the World Cup and different main world occasions.”
“Screening should preserve vacationers and our nation protected, but it surely should additionally preserve america aggressive,” Hansen added. “If we fail to ship an environment friendly, safe and trendy vetting course of, worldwide guests will select different locations.”
Making journey tougher for international guests
This isn’t step one the Trump administration has taken to single out worldwide guests to the U.S. It follows a slew of latest guidelines which are affecting inbound journey.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, non-U.S. residents might be required to pay an additional $100 payment or buy a $250 annual go to go to a few of the hottest nationwide parks in what the administration has known as “America-first pricing.” And earlier this 12 months, the federal government applied a $250 “visa integrity payment” for vacationers to the U.S. with nonimmigrant visas, together with vacationers, enterprise vacationers and worldwide college students, in accordance with CNBC. That payment might go up.
As we reported in our 2026 Journey Tendencies report, the U.S. tourism business has taken a giant hit this 12 months.
Worldwide journey to the U.S., particularly, has suffered. The truth is, inbound worldwide journey is anticipated to lower this 12 months for the primary time since 2020, falling to only 85% of 2019 ranges, in accordance with information from the U.S. Journey Affiliation. And the World Journey & Tourism Council estimated earlier this 12 months that the U.S. was on monitor to lose $12.5 billion in worldwide customer spending in 2025.
Nevertheless, the U.S. Journey Affiliation mentioned issues might change in 2026 due to massive occasions just like the FIFA World Cup.
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