Prepare for a change in your trip to the United States with this visa waiver. It involves a selfie – The Mercury News

Daniel Shoer Roth | Miami Herald (TNS)

The program that allows travelers from 41 countries to enter the United States for short-term stays without a visa is getting a significant update.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection has proposed changes to the ESTA application for the Visa Waiver Program that could take effect soon and affect travel. ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

ESTA authorization – an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors traveling to the United States – is the simplest and quickest entry permit allowing travelers to enter the United States without a visa.

As published in the Federal Register on April 30, Customs and Border Protection intends to update the ESTA application website to require applicants to provide a “selfie” of their face, in addition to the usual photo on the biographical page of the passport.

What about the requirement to take a selfie to enter the United States?

The selfie photos would be used to ensure that the applicant is the legitimate holder of the document used to obtain an ESTA travel authorization, authorities said.

Under the proposal, which will be subject to public comment over the next 30 days, applicants could previously authorize a third party to submit the ESTA application on their behalf. However, with this update, travel agents or family members would now be required to provide a photo of the ESTA applicant.

“The ESTA Mobile application currently requires applicants to take a live photo of their face, which is compared to the ID photo collected during the ESTA Mobile application process,” the Department of Homeland Security notice states. “This change will better align the application processes and requirements of the ESTA website and ESTA Mobile applicants. »

The CBP notice states that the public must provide comments no later than May 30.

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