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Traveling legally to the United States may soon involve a new requirement: taking a selfie when leaving the country.
The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) formally proposed that foreign visitors must submit a facial photograph as proof that they have indeed left U.S. territory and complied with the terms of their stay.
The initiative was published this week in the Federal Register and is part of a broader package of modifications to the immigration control system, aligned with the policies promoted by the Donald Trump administration to strengthen the monitoring of international travelers, especially those entering without a traditional visa.
The selfie as proof of leaving the country
According to the proposal, travelers may be required to take a selfie upon leaving the United States to prove that they exited the country in compliance with the I-94 form requirements, a document that electronically records the entries and exits of foreign nationals.
CBP is considering launching a pilot program for self-reporting exit, known as Voluntary Self-Reporting of Exit (VSRE), aimed at fully automating the I-94 process and transferring the responsibility of confirming departure to the traveler.
This new feature would be available within the CBP Home mobile application, or the platform that replaces it, and would allow users to send three key pieces of information: passport biographical data, a real-time facial image, and real-time geographical location.
The agency clarifies that, although the use of the tool would be voluntary, sending a facial image would be mandatory to complete the process. In other words, there would be no departure confirmation without a selfie.
Biometric verification and official departure registration
To ensure that the photograph is authentic, CBP would use geolocation technology to confirm that the traveler is outside of the United States, as well as live detection systems to verify that the image was taken at that moment and not uploaded from the phone's gallery.
The exit evidence would be stored in the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) and could later be used by immigration officials in case of questions about a previous stay or a possible overstay.
Currently, visitors no longer fill out paper I-94 or I-94W forms, as these records are generated electronically.
However, CBP is now seeking to place the confirmation of departure directly in the hands of travelers through this digital mechanism based on biometric data.
Changes for those traveling with ESTA authorization
The modifications are not limited to the time of departure from the country.
CBP also proposes to update the ESTA application system (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), used by citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Among the main changes is the requirement to upload a selfie when requesting the permit, in addition to the photo of the passport's biographical page.
This requirement would apply to both those who manage their application personally and to third parties, such as travel agencies or intermediaries.
According to Customs, these images would be used to verify that the person requesting the authorization is indeed the holder of the presented passport, a measure that, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), aims to reduce fraud and strengthen identity verification.
Goodbye to the ESTA website: everything will go through a mobile app
As part of the same reform package, CBP also plans to eliminate the option to apply for ESTA through its website and centralize the entire process in an exclusive mobile application.
The agency justifies this decision due to the issues identified in the current system, including low-quality images and the use of fraudulent websites that charge unnecessary fees to travelers.
The new mobile platform, according to CBP, would streamline the processes and enhance the security of applications.
This change would mean that the authorization process would depend on devices compatible with advanced biometric verification features, which could limit access for some users.
A context of prior hardening
These proposals are part of a broader shift in U.S. immigration policy.
This week, the administration of Donald Trump published another initiative that significantly tightens controls on foreign tourists, including those entering under the VWP.
That plan, released on December 10 in the Federal Register, introduces as a mandatory requirement the submission of information about social media used in the past five years, for both visa applicants and travelers using the ESTA.
The measure responds to Executive Order 14161, signed in January 2025, titled "Protection of the United States Against Foreign Terrorists and Other Threats to National Security and Public Safety."
According to the official document, CBP will include social media as a mandatory element of the ESTA form, which would impact millions of potential visitors.
In addition to profiles on platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, the new form would require an unprecedented collection of personal and family data, including phone numbers, historical email addresses, IP addresses, photograph metadata, and biometric data such as facial images, fingerprints, iris patterns, and even DNA in certain cases.
Automated evaluation and critiques
The collected information would be analyzed using automated systems and artificial intelligence, with the aim of detecting suspicious patterns, links to extremist groups, or potential criminal activities, according to sources from the DHS.
However, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have warned that these policies could lead to excessive surveillance, subjective decisions, and preventative self-censorship among foreign travelers, due to fears that critical, satirical, or misinterpreted posts could impact the approval of travel permits.
What follows
For now, none of these proposals have been approved. All are in a 60-day public comment period, with a deadline until February 9, 2026, in accordance with the Streamlining Act.
Opinions can be sent to the email CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov.
If implemented, these measures could take effect in 2026 and radically transform the way millions of people enter and exit the United States, consolidating an increasingly digital border where biometric identity and online presence accompany travelers far beyond the airport.
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