Everything you need to know about US travel in 2026

America is on sale this summer. The 2026 World Cup taking place across the US (as well as some matches in Mexico and Canada). But the expected surge of visitors does not look like materialising. Airlines and hotels are cutting prices to try to stimulate demand.

Later in the summer, peak tourist season also looks affordable. From London Heathrow to Boston on 1 August for a fortnight, British Airways is selling tickets for only £682 return. The catch is: when you touch down, things may be rather different from your last visit.

As soon as Donald Trump returned to the White House, he signed an executive order requiring much tougher controls on “all aliens seeking admission to the United States,” demanding they are “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible”.

Since then, some high-profile deportations of travellers deemed not suitable for admission have taken place. LGBTQ+ travellers, as well as those who are politically active, may have particular concerns.

These are the key questions and answers.

Will I be able to get an Esta without too much trouble?

Probably. Ensure you have an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) permit before you book anything; if you are refused for any reason, the procedure for obtaining a visa is slow, expensive and not always successful.

The Esta scheme came into effect in 2009. These essential online permits are usually granted within a few hours. The fee is $40.27 (£30).

You are invited to provide your social media history, though it is not yet compulsory. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says: “Information found in social media will enhance the vetting process and may be used to review Esta applications to validate legitimate travel … and identify potential threats.

“If you choose to answer these questions and an initial vetting by CBP indicates possible information of concern or a need to further validate information, a highly trained CBP officer will have timely visibility of the publicly available information on those platforms, consistent with the privacy settings the applicant has chosen to adopt for those platforms … It may also be used to identify potential deception or fraud.”

An Esta gives permission to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Note that it does not guarantee entry.

The Foreign Office warns: “A valid ESTA or visa does not guarantee you will be allowed to enter the US. Authorities may refuse you entry if, for example, they believe you plan to stay longer than permitted or have provided inaccurate or incomplete information. The US may change the conditions to travel to the US at any time without prior notice.”

The authorities may ask to see your return ticket or one onward to a country that is not Canada, Mexico or a Caribbean nation, and demand proof you have enough money to support yourself during your stay.

What if I have been to Cuba?

It depends when you were on the island. At the end of his first term, on 12 January 2021, President Trump designated Cuba a “state sponsor of terrorism”. Anyone who is found to have visited Cuba on or after this date is not eligible for Esta and must apply for a visa.

As mentioned, getting a US visa is a long, cumbersome and expensive process. Travellers with fresh passports have not reported any problems.

Any other “no-go” countries?

Any visit since 1 March 2011 to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen disqualifies you from Esta.

What if I am a transgender person?

In an Executive Order, President Trump instructed: “It is the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. ‘Gender ideology’ replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity, permitting the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa.”

It is widely believed that arrivals must have travel documents corresponding to their birth gender. But the Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) says: “A foreign traveller’s gender as indicated on their passport and their personal beliefs about sexuality do not render a person inadmissible.”

How onerous is the arrival process?

Many people find it slower (I waited 90 minutes at New York JFK in May 2025) and more thorough than before. Last week at JFK, wait times for non-US citizens were as high as 2h18m, according to CBP figures.

But thanks to extremely accurate facial biometric technology, the officer may not even glance at your physical passport – they have your details digitally from your Esta application.

Bear in mind that if you are transiting to another country, for example flying London-Miami-Lima, you must clear CBP checks as though you were planning to stay in the US for months.

Will I have my phone examined?

“Officials may ask to inspect your electronic devices, emails, text messages, and social media activity,” the Foreign Office warns. “If you refuse, they can delay or deny your entry.”

Last year there was a one in 10,000 chance of having your social media history examined. That means from every 30 wide-bodied jets arriving from abroad to the US, one passenger will have their social media scrutinised. The proportion has probably increased. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says: “Officers may search a traveller’s mobile phone, computer, camera, or other electronic devices during the inspection process.

“These searches have been used to identify and combat terrorist activity, drug smuggling, human smuggling, bulk cash smuggling, human trafficking, intellectual property rights violations and visa fraud, among other violations.

“All travellers are obligated to present their electronic devices and the information resident on the device in a condition that allows for the examination of the device and its contents.”

There are two levels of search, according to the CBP: “A basic search generally entails an officer reviewing the contents of the device manually without the assistance of any external equipment.

“An advanced search is any search in which an officer connects external equipment to an electronic device not merely to gain access to the device, but to review, copy, and/or analyse its contents.”

The CBP says only 10 per cent of device searches are “advanced”.

Any hacks to make the experience easier?

Travel to the US via Ireland. At Dublin and Shannon airports, passengers bound for the US are “pre-cleared” by CBP officials. You check in as usual, go through one universal security check and a separate enhanced inspection, and then are examined at what is effectively the US frontier.

Any problems can be addressed while you are still on Irish soil, rather than at a US airport where you are at risk of deportation. If you are going to be rejected, better for this to happen before you have taken off.

The vast majority of travellers will be passed for boarding, and at the end of the transatlantic are treated as domestic arrivals – with no wait, unlike the tired masses queuing for CBP checks.

This piece is kept revised and updated with the latest information

Read more: World Cup 2026: The biggest public transport rip-offs and bargains for fans