American authorities will require an unprecedented amount of personal information for visitors entering without a visa under the waiver program, such as citizens of the European Union. The stakes directly concern professional mobility: hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many expatriates working for international companies, could be confronted with this new screening. The German weekly Der Spiegel examined the implications for these travelers.
Since December 2025, according to the official journal of the US government, travelers will have to provide a very extensive set of data. The text notably includes the collection of “activities on social networks over the past five years, phone numbers from the past five years, email addresses from the past ten years, IP addresses, metadata from electronically submitted photographs, information about family members including names, phone numbers, dates and places of birth, and places of residence.” This measure will affect both tourists and professionals entering the US with ESTA, the electronic authorization that allows certain travelers to enter the US without a visa for a short stay.
For European expatriates working in international groups, the issue quickly becomes a legal one. In 2024, approximately 2 million German visitors traveled to the US, with 16% for business, nearly 320,000 people, the magazine explains. If the rules come into effect in 2026, each business trip could require a prior risk assessment for the employer.
German labor law specialist Kathrin Vossen sees the situation as delicate for companies: “For now, I lack the imagination to see an employer’s interest strong enough to justify such a deep intrusion into employees’ private data.” Companies will now have to balance between commercial imperatives and privacy protection.
Some situations could become unsolvable. If an employee fears that their political views or online activities will attract the attention of American authorities, the assignment could become a headache. In practice, an employer cannot force an employee to board a plane. As the lawyer summarizes, as controls tighten, every professional trip to the US could become a negotiated choice rather than a simple formality.
