CBP Plans Major Updates to ESTA, Including Social Media and Enhanced Personal Data Requirements

US Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) has proposed expanding the information required from Visa Waiver Program applicants under the ESTA process. Planned additions include mandatory disclosure of social media identifiers from the past five years and more extensive personal and family information from the last five or ten years. CBP also plans to roll out a new optional mobile tool allowing foreign nationals to self-report their departure from the United States.  The agency will accept public comments on the proposed changes for 60 days starting from 10 December 2025.

According to the notice, CBP plans to implement the following ESTA updates:

Mandatory social media disclosure. Applicants would be required to provide social media information for the five years preceding the application.

Expanded personal data fields. New “when feasible” fields would include:

• Telephone numbers used by the applicant in the prior five years;
• Email addresses used in the prior ten years;
• IP addresses and metadata from uploaded photos;
• Family member names, dates and places of birth;
• Family telephone numbers used in the prior five years;
• Family member residences;
• Biometrics (face, fingerprint, DNA, iris);
• Business telephone numbers used in the prior five years; and
• Business email addresses used in the prior ten years.

Separate photo upload. CBP plans to require a standalone facial photograph upload for all applications, in addition to the passport biographic page image.

Transition to mobile-only filing. CBP ultimately plans to retire the ESTA application website in favour of the ESTA Mobile app as the sole platform for submissions. The website would remain available for information and status checks. CBP cites technological limitations of the current website as the reason for the transition.

Optional self-reported departure tool. CBP also plans to add functionality to the CBP Home mobile app allowing foreign nationals to document their departure from the United States. Users would submit a facial image and enable geolocation; CBP would apply “liveness detection” to confirm the image is current. Verified departures would be recorded in the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS).

What to Expect:

CBP will accept public comments on the proposed ESTA and departure-record changes for 60 days after the December 10 Federal Register publication. Once the comment period closes and the Office of Management and Budget approve the revisions, CBP may implement them in phases.

If finalized, the changes would require ESTA applicants to provide more detailed personal information and undergo social media review, potentially increasing scrutiny, and processing times. If their ESTA is not approved, applicants will be directed to apply for a visa at a US embassy/consulate.

Any applicants for a US visa or ESTA with law enforcement history, even if the incident has been “stepped down”, are advised to seek professional advice.  Please contact Izidora Levi at [email protected] if you have any questions.