US plans changes to ESTA requirements
The United States (US) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced plans to revise its Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) application, which must be obtained by travellers from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries before entering the country.
Source: Tim Mossholder on Pexels, for illustration purposes only
If finalised, the changes will require applicants from the 42 VWP countries, including Singapore, to provide additional personal data, including their social media history.
According to the notice published on Wednesday (10 Dec), the public has 60 days to submit comments before the revisions are approved.
Tourists from VWP countries may be required to disclose 5 years of social media history
One of the key proposed changes is the introduction of a mandatory data field requiring applicants to list their social media information from the past five years.
Source: Tracy Le Blanc on Pexels, for illustration purposes only
This update is being implemented to comply with Executive Order 14161, issued in January 2025, which focuses on “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats”.
However, the notice does not specify how applicants will be expected to provide this information.
Additional ‘high value’ information may be collected
CBP is also proposing to include several “high value data fields” in the ESTA application, in line with Executive Order 14161 and an April 2025 memorandum that requires enhanced baseline biographic data collection.
Under the proposal, applicants may be required to provide telephone numbers used in the past five years and email addresses used in the past 10.
Source: Rawf8 from Alamy on Canva, for illustration purposes only
They may also need to furnish IP addresses and photo metadata linked to electronically submitted images, along with detailed personal information about immediate family members, including their names, contact numbers, dates and places of birth, and residential histories.
In addition, CBP intends to request various biometric identifiers such as facial images, fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans as part of the enhanced security process.
ESTA approval remains compulsory for VWP travel
The VWP allows eligible citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without applying for a visa.
Travellers must still secure a valid ESTA approval before departure to confirm their eligibility. Besides Singapore, participating countries include Brunei, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
MS News has reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for a statement.
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Featured image adapted from Wikimedia Commons and Tracy Le Blanc on Pexels, for illustration purposes only.
