The plan is the latest in a series of measures from the Trump administration aimed at restricting entry to the US. Photograph: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/The New York TimesThe US is proposing that foreign visitors provide their social media history over the last five years to enter the country. US Customs and Border Protection “is adding social media as a mandatory data element” as part of the screening process for travellers entering the US under the Visa Waiver Program, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice posted on Wednesday. The State Department said in December it would expand social media review requirements for H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, urging applicants and dependents “to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public.’” In June, it ordered a review of student visa applicants’ social media presence. The US has been on track for a sharp decline in foreign visitors and spending by tourists this year.

Source: The Irish Times December 10, 2025 15:19 UTC