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 undergoing 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.

The ESTA authorization — an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors traveling to the United States — is the easiest and quickest entry permit for travelers to enter the U.S. territory visa-free.

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 faces, in addition to the usual photograph on the passport biographical page.

What about the selfie requirement to enter the US?

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.

According to the proposal, which is subject to public comments over the next 30 days, applicants previously could allow 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 photograph of the ESTA applicant.

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

The CBP notification said the public should provide comments no later than May 30.

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