My parents and sibling flew out of the U.S. today and when checking in into their BA flights online the info asked included a question about their U.S. visa or green card or if they didn’t have a visa. I can’t remember this being a thing when they flew out on BA back in 2022.

Then at the BA counter at the airport my parents were asked to show their valid U.S. visa (as they had entered the US on immigrant visas that have since expired) and my parents had to show the employee their green cards.

I never remember this at all being a thing throughout my years of traveling on a student visa in the past nor do I remember my family facing this with the number of airlines they’ve flown on as far as I know. Especially since the final destination is BAH so I thought the airline would only be concerned with documents for the final destination. I was never even asked to show my green card when flying from U.S. to BAH and Saudi airports as my Saudi passport was always enough.

Is this a new US thing or a BA thing or what to be asked by an airline employee for one’s valid visa or green card when leaving the U.S.? Coupled with the online check-in process asking for that information, too.