Significant updates to the program that allows travelers from 41 countries to enter the United States for short-term stays without a visa.
The Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection has proposed changes to the Visa Waiver Program's ESTA applications that will go into effect soon and could impact travel. ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
ESTA authorization, an automated system used to determine the eligibility of travelers to the United States, is the easiest and quickest entry permit for travelers to enter U.S. territories without a visa.
As announced in the April 30 Federal Register, Customs and Border Protection has updated its ESTA application website to allow applicants to take a “selfie” of their face in addition to the photo normally posted on the passport biography page. ” will be requested.
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What about the selfie requirement when entering the US?
Officials say the selfie will be used to verify that the applicant is the rightful owner of the document used to obtain an ESTA travel authorization.
The proposal, which will be open for public comment over the next 30 days, previously allowed applicants to allow a third party to submit an ESTA application on their behalf. However, with this update, the travel agent or family member will be required to provide a photo of her ESTA applicant.
“The ESTA mobile application currently requires applicants to take a live photo of their face, which is compared to the passport photo collected during the ESTA mobile application process,” the Department of Homeland Security notice states. has been done. “This change will better align the application process and requirements for the ESTA website and ESTA Mobile applicants.”
CBP's notice says the public has until May 30 at the latest to submit comments.
The story of this custom and travel can be read in Spanish at El Nuevo Herald.
