Please check out proposed new Homeland Security rules for travelers to the US.
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.
Who Needs an I-94 Form
- Non-immigrant visa holders (tourists, students, temporary workers).
- Those adjusting status or extending their stay in the U.S..
Who Doesn’t Need and I-94 Form
- U.S. Citizens.
- Returning Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card holders).
- Most Canadian citizens visiting or in transit.
ESTA – Official Document
ESTA Who Should Apply?
- You are a citizen or eligible national of a Visa Waiver Program country.
- You are currently not in possession of a visitor’s visa.
- Your travel is for 90 days or less.
- You plan to travel to the United States for business or pleasure.
- You want to apply for a new authorization for one person or a group of applications for two or more persons.
ESTA Payment Method
- Fee for application is $40.00 USD.
- Valid payment methods include MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover (JCB or Diners Club only), and PayPal.
Trump’s Unmistakable Message
Trump’s unmistakable message is “Foreigners please stay home.”
This is really sad and economically stupid.
Travel is the largest U.S. services export, with foreign visitors spending billions annually, supporting millions of jobs and balancing trade deficits.
The World Travel and Tourism Council
The World Travel and Tourism Council reports U.S Economy Set to Lose $12.5 Billion in International Traveler Spend This Year.
London, UK, May 13, 2025: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the global body representing the Travel & Tourism private sector, today announced its latest Economic Impact Research which found that the U.S. is on track to lose a staggering $12.5BN in international visitor spending this year.
Notably, international visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169BN this year, down from $181BN in 2024.
This significant shortfall represents a 22.5% decline compared to the previous peak.
The loss won’t be felt by Travel & Tourism alone, with WTTC saying it represents a direct blow to the U.S. economy overall, impacting communities, jobs, and businesses from coast to coast.
According to the study, the U.S, the largest Travel & Tourism sector in the world, is the only country among 184 economies analysed by WTTC and Oxford Economics, forecast to see international visitor spending decline in 2025.
A Global Leader in Reverse
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “This is a wake-up call for the U.S. government. The world’s biggest Travel & Tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction, not because of a lack of demand, but because of a failure to act. While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.”
Simpson continues, “Without urgent action to restore international traveler confidence, it could take several years for the U.S. just to return to pre-pandemic levels of international visitor spend, not even the peak from 10 years ago.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, new international arrivals data for March 2025 reveal a sharp and widespread drop in inbound travel from many of the country’s key source markets:
- UK arrivals, one of the U.S.’s most important source markets, down nearly 15% year over year
- Germany, another significant source market, plunged more than 28%
- South Korea – down almost 15%
- Other key markets, such as Spain, Colombia, Ireland, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, saw double-digit drops between 24% and 33%
As widely expected, the Canadian market is drying up, with early summer bookings down over 20% compared to last year. This is more than a dip. It’s a wake-up call.
The World Travel report was in May, before these new idiotic requirements.
International visitors have spent more than $253.9 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date (January through December 2024), an increase of more than 12 percent when compared 2023.
America the Avoidable: Why Trump’s Policies Could Cost US Tourism Billions
In June of 2025, Bloomberg commented America the Avoidable: Why Trump’s Policies Could Cost US Tourism Billions
- The US is experiencing a decline in international tourism, forecasted to cost the economy $12.5 billion this year, due to President Trump’s “America first” policies, tariff wars, travel bans, and detentions at the border.
- Many countries, including Canada, are issuing travel advisories warning their citizens of potential risks when traveling to the US, and tourists are instead opting for destinations like Japan, China, and Singapore, which are rolling out the welcome mat to foreign visitors.
- The decline in tourism is affecting various sectors, including hospitality, aviation, and restaurants, with cities like Los Angeles, Riverside, and Tampa expected to see significant drops in tourist spending, while New York City is one of the few cities expected to still see a gain this year.
Foreign visitors to the US have been on the rise since the pandemic, with analysts previously expecting 2025 to be a bumper year for tourism. That is, until President Trump’s second term began. This drop in tourism is forecasted to cost the American economy $12.5 billion this year.
I will take a stab that the 2026 hit will be at least triple. Who wants to put up with such nonsense?
Look at that high value data list again. If you were headed to Germany, Australia, or Ireland and had to respond to that, would you go?
I suspect this will get watered down a bit in the next 60 day. If not, we are going to have a collapse in foreign tourism.
National Park Fees
The above requirements are on top of new national park fees for foreign travelers.
Starting January 1, 2026, international visitors face significantly higher U.S. National Park fees, paying a $100 per-person surcharge at 11 popular parks (like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite) plus the standard $35 entry, or $250 for the “America the Beautiful” annual pass (vs. $80 for U.S. residents), with free entry days now reserved for citizens/residents only. This “America-first” fee structure aims to boost park revenue, requiring foreigners to pay more to support maintenance, with fees applying to non-U.S. residents.
Top U.S. Ally Warns Of Bigger Travel Boycotts Thanks To National Parks’ Latest Controversy
Please note Top U.S. Ally Warns Of Bigger Travel Boycotts Thanks To National Parks’ Latest Controversy
On November 25, the U.S. Department of the Interior published a press release announcing higher fees for international visitors seeking to explore some national parks.
Two main changes have been introduced: an additional $100 fee per visitor for the 11 most popular U.S. national parks, and a surcharge that raises the America the Beautiful annual pass from $80 to $250. The changes will be officially implemented on January 1, 2026, but they have already sparked backlash.
Visit USA, an association that brings together U.S. travel sector experts to provide U.K. travelers with accurate information, has recently launched a petition opposing the new U.S. national park surcharges for international visitors.
According to official data by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office, the U.K. was the third-largest source of U.S. inbound tourism in 2023, with 3.90 million visitors.
Considering that international visitors spent over $253.9 billion on travel and tourism-related goods and services from January to December 2024, a possible U.K. travel boycott may have drastic consequences for the U.S. travel industry.
According to NPS data, in 2024, visitors spent $29 billion in communities near national parks, generating $18.8 billion in labor income and $56.3 billion in economic output for the U.S. economy.
Data published on October 1 by the U.S. Travel Association found that the U.S. may experience a 3.2% decline in inbound travel spending, totaling $173 billion.
The surcharge for international visitors is expected to generate millions of dollars in extra revenues for the NPS. A report by the Property and Environment Research Center claims that a $100-per-person surcharge for international visitors could raise $55.2 million annually.
At the moment, it remains unclear whether U.K. tourists will decide to join the Canadian boycott and avoid traveling to the U.S. entirely or only skip visits to national parks. Yet, the increased fees are likely to affect international visitors’ plans.
The park service may increase revenue. Assume it’s $55 million. But the cost of these new rules and fees will be tens of billions of dollars lost elsewhere.
Related Posts
On December 11, 2025, I noted The US Trade Deficit Improves in September, Or Does It?
For the full year, we are on a path to no change for all these efforts.
Meanwhile, we are destroying jobs and taxing US consumers along the way.
In case you missed it, please see President Trump Promised a Manufacturing Boom. Where Is It?
The answer is China.
On the home front, Powell Blames Tariffs for Inflation, Says Job Growth Is Negative
Also on the home front, I commented Health Care Inflation Bomb Makes the Fed’s 2 Percent Target Almost Impossible
Let’s discuss 2026 health care premiums and what they mean to the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation.
But all this is OK because affordability is a hoax and the US is booming.
This post originated on MishTalk.Com
Thanks for Tuning In!
Mish
