Individuals stand in line exterior the U.S. Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno District on Sept. 22 to use for visas. News1
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is searching for to require candidates for the ESTA visa waiver program to supply social media data from the final 5 years, a discover confirmed Wednesday, in a transfer to tighten screening for foreigners’ entry into the US.
U.S. Customs and Border Safety (CBP) posted the discover within the Federal Register to acquire public feedback for 60 days relating to the proposal to gather social media knowledge, and request different items of extra data, comparable to candidates’ biometrics, together with DNA and iris scans.
The proposal is in keeping with an govt order that Trump signed in January to guard the U.S. from “overseas terrorists and different nationwide safety and public security threats.” If applied, it’s anticipated to topic candidates to tighter scrutiny. ESTA stands for digital system for journey authorization.
The proposal requires including social media as a “necessary” knowledge factor for an ESTA utility.
Beneath it, CBP additionally seeks so as to add a number of “excessive worth knowledge fields” to the ESTA utility, “when possible,” in response to the discover.
These fields embody private and enterprise cellphone numbers used within the final 5 years; private and enterprise e-mail addresses used within the final 10 years; and relations’ names, their dates of start, locations of start and residences, and their cellphone numbers used within the final 5 years.
CBP may also request biometric data, comparable to candidates’ fingerprints, DNA and iris scans.
CBP will decommission the ESTA web site utility course of to ascertain the ESTA cell utility as the only platform to use for a brand new ESTA, the discover mentioned.
Feedback on the proposal needs to be submitted no later than Feb. 9. After the general public remark interval, the Trump administration is anticipated to implement it.
Beneath the ESTA program, residents of eligible international locations are allowed to go to the U.S. for as much as 90 days for tourism or different functions.
