Foreign tourists entering the United States may soon be required to provide their social media histories from the past five years, as well as their family members’ names and addresses, in order to obtain a travel authorization.
However, Canadian citizens would not be affected by the proposed changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program.
“Canadian citizens, travelling on a Canadian passport, do not need an Electronic System for Travel Authorization” to enter the U.S., a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson told Global News, adding they are “aware” of the U.S. proposal.
Visitors to the U.S. from nearly four dozen visa-exempt nations — including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Israel — need to apply for an ESTA before entering the country.
The new rules, if approved, would add social media disclosure as “a mandatory data element for an ESTA application,” according to the notice published Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security.
“The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last five years,” the notice in the U.S. Federal Register says.
The proposal also seeks to add a list of “high value data fields” to the ESTA application, including:
- Telephone numbers used in the last five years;
- Email addresses used in the last 10 years;
- Family member names (parents, spouse, siblings, children) and their dates and places of birth, as well as their residencies;
- Family number telephone numbers used in the last five years;
- Biometrics such as facial photos, fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans;
- Business telephone numbers used in the last five years; and
- Business email addresses used in the last 10 years.
CBP estimates travellers filling out an ESTA application will need an extra 22 minutes to provide the additional information.
The notice says the proposed changes align with U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on the first day of his second term in January 2025, that asked agencies to ensure any foreigner entering the U.S. “are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
U.S. citizens will have 60 days to comment on the proposal, the notice says.
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The new rules are being proposed as the U.S. prepares to host the FIFA World Cup next year alongside Canada and Mexico, which will bring travellers from around the world to witness the global soccer tournament.
Fans coming to attend the World Cup matches will be fast-tracked for visa applications, the U.S. State Department has announced.
The Trump administration has otherwise sought to clamp down on foreign travel and immigration to the U.S. through a series of additional regulations and requirements.
CBP and DHS said in late October it intends to start rolling out enhanced biometric screening in the final week of this year, which will require all travellers entering and exiting the U.S. — including Canadians — to have their photo taken.
“I think what (the Trump administration has) been trying to do all along — and this is just one piece of it — is say, ‘Listen, America’s closed, we’re not screwing around anymore,’” Rosanna Berardi, an immigration lawyer based in Buffalo, N.Y., told Global News.
“‘If you want to come, you’re gonna be vetted heavily. If you’re not comfortable with that, then stay home.’ And that’s been the message, unfortunately, since January.”
CBP guidance says Canadian citizens who are travelling with a Canadian passport do not need an ESTA to enter the U.S.
However, Berardi said the increased data disclosure rules could apply to Canadian permanent residents who hold passports from some visa-exempt countries.
Permanent residents who are citizens of countries where a visa is still required, such as India or China, would still need to apply for a visa and be subject to enhanced vetting through that separate entry stream.
“It’s very country-specific,” Berardi said.
“Anytime the government does something like this, it’s always as clear as mud, as you can tell.”
Global Affairs Canada did not directly answer questions from Global News on whether the U.S. has indicated there may be changes to what information Canadians are required to provide before entering the country.
The spokesperson pointed to Travel Canada’s advice for Canadians seeking to enter the U.S., which warns travellers to “expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices.”
“We have obtained the information on this page from the U.S. authorities. It can, however, change at any time,” the advisory says.
The proposed rule changes also seek to shut down the ESTA application website and move the entire process to mobile devices, which DHS says will “both enhance security and improve efficiency” due to better image quality from mobile cameras.
The notice says “poor quality image uploads to the ESTA website have resulted in applicants bypassing the facial comparison screening,” a “vulnerability that CBP believes travellers are aware of and “have begun to exploit it by purposely uploading poor quality images to avoid detection.”
The agencies add moving the application process from the website will also reduce fraud from third-party websites that issue false travel authorizations to unsuspecting travellers who end up paying higher fees.
However, Berardi said prioritizing mobile devices will come with its own challenges.
“My dad is 86 and very tech savvy, but if I told him you have to download this app and upload a picture, I would have to help him with that,” she said.
Asking seniors “wanting to visit Disney World” or take a similar U.S. vacation to list their past email addresses and family members’ information will also be “a very big ask,” Berardi added.
—With files from David Akin
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