Major Changes Proposed for Visa Waiver Program: What Travelers Can Expect

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proposed sweeping changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which could significantly impact travelers from 41 participating countries. The proposal, open for public comment until February 9, 2026, aims to enhance security by moving to a mobile-only application process and collecting a vast amount of new personal data. Under the proposed rules, applicants would be required to submit a facial photograph (a “selfie”), and potentially other biometrics like fingerprints or DNA. Furthermore, travelers would need to provide a five-year history of their social media accounts, a ten-year history of email addresses, and detailed information about their family members. The plan also includes a voluntary feature for travelers to report their departure from the U.S. using geolocation. While CBP states these changes will improve efficiency and security, they raise significant privacy concerns and could create new hurdles for the millions of tourists and business travelers who rely on the VWP for short-term visits to the United States. The future of visa-free travel to the U.S. may look very different in 2026.