By Gonzalez Olivieri, on Immigration Updates
The Trump administration has proposed requiring foreign visitors from visa waiver countries to submit their social media handles from the past five years as part of enhanced vetting procedures, with the policy set to take effect February 8, 2026. The requirement would also mandate disclosure of all email addresses used over the last decade and family member information. The U.S. Travel Association has warned that this policy could discourage millions of international travelers and cost the country billions in tourism revenue, particularly given that the U.S. is preparing to host the 2026 World Cup.
The proposed social media requirements represent an expansion of existing vetting procedures for visa applicants and reflects the Trump administration's broader focus on tightening foreign visitor screening. The policy stems from a January 20, 2025, executive order directing maximum vetting and screening of international visitors, and applicants for traditional immigrant and non-immigrant visas have been required to disclose social media information since 2019. The State Department has also recently mandated that H-1B visa applicants make their social media profiles public for government review.
For more information on this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Gonzalez Olivieri LLC today.
Reference:
David Shepardson, US Social Media Requirements for Foreign Visitors Could Have 'Chilling Effect' on Travel, Industry Group Says, REUTERS (Dec. 15, 2025), https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-social-media-requirements-foreign-visitors-could-have-chilling-effect-travel-2025-12-15/.
