To implement President Trump's January 20, 2025 Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently introduced a new requirement for noncitizens in the United States: they must register their personal information such as fingerprints and address with the U.S. government. The reporting requirement is based on Section 262 of the Immigrant and Nationality Act.
Who is subject to the registration requirements?
All non-U.S. citizens over the age of 14 who were not fingerprinted or registered when applying for a U.S. visa and who plan to stay in the United States for 30 days or longer must register before the end of the 30 days. Parents or legal guardians must register for their children under the age of 14. Children who have previously registered must re-register and provide fingerprints within 30 days after their 14th birthday.
However, for individuals who are legally present in the U.S., they should have already registered. These individuals include: Green Card holders, visa holders, parolees, employment authorization recipients, and individuals in removal proceedings.
Who is likely not registered?
The USCIS announcement specifically singles out the following groups of individuals as not having registered yet:
- Those who entered the U.S. without inspection
- Canadians who entered at a land port and were not issued evidence of registration
- Those who applied for newer immigration benefits (e.g., DACA and TPS)
How to register?
The announcement states that an Interim Final Regulation will be published to provide more details about the registration requirement and process. Foreign nationals are supposed to create a MyUSCIS account on USCIS website to register using the G-325R as early as February 26, 2025 to get ready for registration. The is no cost for registration.
Different address reporting requirement
Non-citizens should not confuse the new requirement with the address reporting requirement. Under INA Section 265(a), all non-citizens (including permanent residents) must report their new address in writing to the Department of Homeland Security within 10 days of change. They may do so by completing the AR-11 form or through their MyUSCIS account. This is a separate reporting requirement. Willful failure to comply can be a ground for deportation.
Summary
The new registration requirements is another way for the Trump Administration to strictly enforce immigration laws. Registration does not confer any legal status or employment authorization. It is unclear what the penalties are for non-compliance. According to INA 266, willful non-compliance can lead to significant penalties, including misdemeanor conviction, civil fines of up to $1,000 or imprisonment of up to 6 months, and potential immigration consequences.
