WASHINGTON, United States (US): The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is planning to tighten entry rules for tourists from Germany and many other countries, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
According to the plans, travellers hoping to enter the US will have to disclose more information about their personal life in advance than before.
A deadline expires on Monday for objections and comments on the proposed changes to be submitted.
After that, the US agency will review the submissions and may make further changes before the reform comes into effect. An exact timeline has not been published.
Affected are visitors entering the country with the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), the common, visa-free authorisation for tourists and business travellers from more than 40 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Programme. This allows a stay in the US for a maximum of 90 days.
In December, the CBP proposed changes for ESTA applicants, some of which are causing particular uncertainty.
Those wishing to enter the US on this basis would in future have to disclose information about their social media presence over the past five years.
However, what exactly is meant by this is not clear from the proposal published in the US Federal Register.
The reform also mentions that applicants would have to provide numerous additional personal data in the future. However, what exactly determines enforceability is not defined.
The proposals for additional data to be collected include phone numbers used in the past five years and email addresses used in the past 10 years, along with detailed information about family members. -BERNAMA-dpa
