The “New” Alien Registration Requirement Started April 11, 2025. Requirements to Carry Immigration Registration Document and Report Change of Address.

By Caroline Taylor on April 14, 2025

On April 11, 2025, USCIS began enforcing a requirement that certain foreign nationals register with the agency and submit to fingerprinting if they remain in the U.S. for 30 days or longer.

This bulletin summarizes who is (and who is not) required to register; explains the registration process created by this new policy; and outlines the potential penalties for failing to register.

It also addresses the requirements to carry registration documents and report address changes that apply to all foreign national nonimmigrants (those in temporary visa status) and lawful permanent residents.

Key Takeaways:

A new registration system went into effect on April 11, 2025. Many authorized immigrants and nonimmigrants are not required to register under the new registration system because they were already registered when they completed their immigration process.
- If you are the parent of a child under the age of 14 who has previously registered (e.g., either in nonimmigrant status H-4, L-2Y, TD, or a permanent resident), you must register your child under this new procedure within 30 days following the child’s 14th birthday:
- If you do not have a green card and are not in valid nonimmigrant status, or are unclear if you have acceptable Alternate Proof of Registration, contact your immigration counsel.
All non-U.S. citizens (including green card holders and nonimmigrants on temporary visas) must carry proof of registration at all times, including when travelling domestically or just going about daily life. Common proof of registration documents include the Form I-94 for those in nonimmigrant visa status, a valid EAD card, or a green card for those already registered through a prior immigration process, and the proof of registration issued by USCIS following submission of G-325R online for those required to register the new Alien Registration process. The full list of documents that serve as proof of registration may be found at 8 CFR 264.1(b). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-264/section-264.1#p-264.1(b)
All non-U.S. citizens (including green card holders and nonimmigrants on temporary visas) must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of an address change. You may update your address with USCIS online through your USCIS account or by filing a paper AR-11. The USCIS page How to Change Your Address [https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange] contains detailed information and links.

Background:

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires all foreign national nonimmigrants (those in temporary visa status) and lawful permanent residents to do these two things. The penalty for not doing so can be severe, under long-standing laws.

Carry their immigration registration document – Nonimmigrants and lawful permanent residents must carry their “evidence of registration” document at all times.
Report address changes within 10 days – All noncitizens living in the United States must report any change of address within 10 days of the address change.

The requirement that foreign nationals register with the federal government after entering the U.S. is not new. It has been in place for decades and eventually was integrated into the immigration process. However, as there was no separate process to register in the U.S., there has been no way for people who entered the U.S. without authorization to comply with the law, and enforcement has been inconsistent.

New Alien Registration Requirement:

Shortly after being inaugurated, President Trump issued the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order, which directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enforce compliance with alien registration requirements and also to prioritize criminal and civil enforcement against those who fail to comply.

On March 12, 2025, USCIS published the Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register, Alien Registration Form and Evidence of Registration, that will become effective 30 days from publication, on April 11, 2025.

Who Does NOT Need to Register?

Many authorized immigrants and nonimmigrants are not required to apply for registration and fingerprinting under the Alien Registration Requirement (“ARR”), because they already satisfied the requirement when they completed their immigration process. Green Card holders, visa holders, parolees, employment authorization recipients, and individuals in removal proceedings, are already registered.

You may review the immigration statuses listed above that are not required to register here: https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration.

Who DOES Need to Register?

All non-U.S. citizens, who will remain in the U.S. for more than 30 days and who did not complete the registration process in connection with a visa or ESTA admission, must register, including:

Canadian visitors who entered the United States at land ports of entry and do not have an I-94 record;
All non-U.S. citizen children, who were previously registered through an immigration process, who turn 14 years of age in the United States, must update their registration and be fingerprinted within 30 days after their 14th birthday;
- Permanent residents who obtained their green cards when under the age of 14 are required to register and complete fingerprinting through a Form I-90 once they reach the age of 14. The I-90 Form should be used for this type of registration rather than Form G-325R; and
Non-U.S. citizen children below the age of 14 who have not previously registered will need to register (these children will be issued proof of registration but are not required to complete fingerprinting until they turn 14);
Persons who entered without inspection and who have not been fingerprinted in connection with any pending application for immigration benefits;
Non-U.S. citizens who submitted one or more benefit requests to USCIS and who do not yet have Alternate Proof of Registration as listed below, including those who applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and were not issued an employment authorization document or other acceptable proof of registration, must register with Form G-325R.

Registration Process:

The registration form must be submitted online through an individual USCIS account at https://my.uscis.gov/

Each noncitizen must have a unique account and file their own Form G-325R. The current version of the form requests extensive biographic details, address history for five years, history of activities and planned actions in the U.S., estimated departure date, criminal history, and details for all immediate family members; and allows for uploading all relevant documentation related to the applicant’s criminal history and other supporting documents. The form G-325R is not available on legal representative accounts and must be submitted through the applicant’s own individual account.

Once the G-325R has been submitted, a Biometrics Services Appointment will be scheduled at a USCIS Application Support Center, if required. At this time, fingerprinting does not require any additional fee, but a $30 biometrics fee has been proposed and may be implemented in the months to come. Fingerprinting will be waived for Canadians and for those registrants under the age of 14.

Once registration and fingerprinting (if required) are completed, the individual will be able to download and print proof of registration, which they must carry with them at all times if 18 or older.

Penalties:

Failure to comply with the registration and fingerprinting requirements may result in a fine of up to $5000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Noncompliance is considered a criminal offense. This applies to the parents or guardians of children who fail to comply.

Failure to carry proof of registration for those 18 years or older could result in a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5000, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both. Noncompliance is considered a criminal offense.

Failure to register one’s change of address is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5000, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both. Noncompliance is considered a criminal offense. In addition, failure to comply with the change of address notification is a deportable offense unless the alien can establish the failure was reasonably excusable or not willful.