U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced significant updates to its Arrival and Departure Record (Form I‑94) and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), inviting public comments on the proposed revisions within 60 days. The notice, published today in the Federal Register under OMB Control Number 1651‑0111, outlines a broad modernization initiative that includes new biometric features, expanded data requirements, and the transition of ESTA to a mobile-only platform.
CBP stated that the revisions aim to strengthen national security, enhance traveler identity verification, and fully automate the collection of entry and exit data. Comments on the proposed information collections are due by February 9, 2026.
Among the changes already approved through emergency clearance is the Voluntary Self-Reported Exit (VSRE) pilot feature within the CBP One mobile app. This feature allows foreign nationals subject to I‑94 requirements to voluntarily record their departure by submitting passport data, facial images, and geolocation information. The system uses “liveness detection” and facial comparison technology to confirm a traveler’s exit and create a biometrically verified departure record.
The agency will now also require all ESTA applicants—including those applying through third-party providers—to upload a live “selfie” photo for identity verification. The photo-upload feature, currently available on the ESTA mobile app, will be extended to all submissions to prevent fraudulent or poor-quality images that have previously enabled some applicants to bypass facial screening.
One of the most notable proposed changes is the decommissioning of the ESTA website’s application function. CBP plans to require all new ESTA applications to be submitted exclusively via the mobile app, while the website will remain active only for information and status checks.
According to CBP, the move follows repeated incidents of fraud involving substandard passport image uploads and the use of deceptive third-party websites charging travelers excessive fees. The mobile app, the agency emphasized, offers superior verification capabilities, including near-field communication (NFC) passport scanning, facial recognition, and automatic electronic chip validation—technologies not supported on the website.
To comply with Executive Order 14161, issued in January 2025, CBP will also make social media identifiers a mandatory part of all ESTA applications. Applicants will need to provide the social media handles they have used over the past five years.
Additionally, CBP plans to add several new “high-value data fields,” including email addresses and phone numbers used over the past decade, IP metadata from uploaded photos, and details related to family members’ identities and residences. The agency says these expanded datasets will enhance traveler vetting in line with evolving national security mandates.
The notice also confirms the removal of Romania from the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and adjusts burden estimates to account for the potential addition of new countries in the future.
According to CBP, the revised information collection affects several categories of respondents across paper and electronic platforms, imposing a combined annual time burden of several million hours. For paper Form I‑94, the agency estimates 865,639 respondents each year, each taking about eight minutes to complete the form, totaling 115,418 annual burden hours. For the I‑94 website, CBP projects approximately 2,278,054 respondents annually, each taking around four minutes, for a total of 151,870 burden hours.
The largest impact is associated with the ESTA mobile application, which CBP expects to be used by about 14,484,073 respondents annually. Each application is estimated to take 22 minutes, resulting in an annual burden of approximately 5,310,827 hours. Additionally, about 600,000 users are expected to use the CBP One mobile app, each taking around two minutes, for a total annual burden of 20,000 hours.
CBP invites individuals and organizations to comment on the necessity, accuracy, and estimated burden of these information collections, as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. All comments will be summarized and included in the agency’s final submission to the Office of Management and Budget.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
