Arrival and Departure New Rules

We are in a 60-day period of comments on new Homeland Security Rules for those visiting the the US.

Voluntary Self-Reported Exit (VSRE) Pilot and I-94 Automation: CBP is implementing a new functionality within the CBP Home mobile application, or any successor mobile application, to allow aliens who are subject to I-94 requirements and who are departing the United States, to voluntarily provide biographic data from their passports or other travel documents, facial images, and geolocation to provide evidence of that departure. [Essentially everyone, explained below]

Selfie:Photo upload for ESTA website and mobile: CBP intends to update the ESTA application website to require applicants to provide a photograph of their face, or "selfie", in addition to the photo of the passport biographical page.

Mandatory Social Media: In order to comply with the January 2025 Executive Order 14161 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an ESTA application. The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years.

High Value Data Elements

a. Telephone numbers used in the last five years;

b. Email addresses used in the last ten years;

c. IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos;

d. Family member names (parents, spouse, siblings, children);

e. Family number telephone numbers used in the last five years;

f. Family member dates of birth;

g. Family member places of birth;

h. Family member residencies;

i. Biometrics – face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris;

j. Business telephone numbers used in the last five years;

k. Business email addresses used in the last ten years.

I-94 Requirements (AI Generated)

The I-94 form, or Arrival/Departure Record, is a crucial document for most foreign nationals (aliens) entering the U.S. on temporary visas, serving as proof of legal entry, status (like F-1 student), and authorized length of stay, now usually created electronically by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and most Canadians visiting short-term are exempt.