Updated 3/14/2025:
The Department of Homeland Security has outlined plans for an upcoming Alien Registration Requirement. Current information can be found at the USCIS Update, here: https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration. Importantly, as USCIS notes, this process is not yet confirmed and details are forthcoming: “DHS will soon announce a form and process for aliens to complete the registration requirement. Beginning Feb. 25, 2025, aliens required to register should create a USCIS online account in preparation for the registration process. See our How to Create a USCIS Online Account page for more information. Once the registration process is implemented, aliens will submit their registration, and parents and guardians will submit registration applications on behalf of their children under 14, through their USCIS online account.”
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) confirmed that: “According to DHS, the USCIS account creation requirement went into effect on February 25, 2025, but DHS did not provide a timeline for when the registration form will be effective. AILA has learned that the G-325R, which will serve as the registration form, was accessible in applicant MyUSCIS accounts as early as February 26, 2025.”
This may or may not apply to your case, as you may already be registered. The registration requirement applies to:
Individuals aged 14 and older: Non-U.S. citizens 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 expiration of the 30 days.
- Individuals aged 14 and older: Non-U.S. citizens 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 expiration of the 30 days.
- Children under 14: Parents or legal guardians must register their children who were not registered upon visa application and who will remain in the U.S. for 30 days or longer must register before the expiration of the 30 days
- Previously registered children turning 14: They must re-register and provide fingerprints within 30 days after their 14th birthday
The list of those already registered includes the following:
- Lawful permanent residents;
- Aliens paroled into the United States under INA 212(d)(5), even if the period of parole has expired;
- Aliens admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants who were issued Form I-94 or I-94W (paper or electronic), even if the period of admission has expired;
- All aliens present in the United States who were issued immigrant or nonimmigrant visas prior to arrival;
- Aliens whom DHS has placed into removal proceedings;
- Aliens issued an employment authorization document;
- Aliens who have applied for lawful permanent residence using Forms I-485, I-687, I-691, I-698, I-700, even if the applications were denied; and,
- Aliens issued Border Crossing Cards.
Starting February 25, 2025, noncitizens required to register may need to create a USCIS online account in preparation for the new process. The forthcoming registration system will allow noncitizens to submit their details electronically, and parents or guardians will be responsible for registering children under 14. Additional details, including a specific form and further procedural guidance, are expected to be released soon, and we will provide guidance if necessary once confirmed. Importantly, per AILA: “The USCIS has not specified a fee for the alien registration process itself. However, 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.”
In its press release, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), noted:
AILA President Kelli Stump stated, “These new registration requirements threaten to drag us back to a dark period of history when simply appearing ‘foreign’ puts you at risk of law enforcement arrest, detention and more drastic consequences. The last time the U.S. government required non-citizens to register came after 9/11 and the result was a gross and ineffective waste of taxpayer dollars that didn’t make anyone safer and caused unnecessary confusion and harm to thousands of American families and businesses. If implemented, this registration requirement will amount to a nationwide ‘show me your papers’ regime with anyone who might be profiled, even U.S. citizens and immigrants with legal status, scared and unable to go anywhere without their passport or other documentation. We’ve already seen and heard of U.S. citizens swept up in raids, arrested, and detained. This will just make it exponentially worse.”
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson cautioned, “This new registration requirement is only going to create more chaos and confusion and will result in criminalizing people who are otherwise law-abiding members of communities all over this country. Reading this proposal, among other concerns, Canadian visitors waved in without having fingerprints taken would be subject to registration within 30 days and children turning 14 would be required to register despite not being otherwise considered an adult by our government. Frankly, this feels like a trap being set that will seek to label immigrants as ‘criminals’ in order to justify a mass deportation scheme. This registration policy ignores and even denigrates the indispensable contributions immigrants from all walks of life have made to American society since the country’s inception.”
The Trump Administration is set to introduce a new rule requiring Canadian citizens who plan to stay in the United States for over 30 days to register their details with the U.S. government and undergo fingerprinting. Importantly, the notice indicates that an I-94 will be accepted in lieu of the registration requirement. This includes Form I-94W issued to those admitted as B-1/B-2 nonimmigrants through the Visa Waiver Program.
Set to take effect April 11th, 2025, this rule broadens the existing registrations and fingerprint requirements for foreign nationals entering the U.S. from Canada by land. Canadian visitors must comply with the registration process or face penalties. Affected travelers will be required to create a USCIS account, submit a biographic information form, and schedule an appointment for fingerprinting as part of a background check. Registration may be completed using the revised form G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration).
We’re keeping a close watch on these developments as they evolve. Note that, as with many other executive orders recently released, there may be litigation surrounding these programs and updates, which may pause or alter the requirements. Stay tuned for more updates as additional information becomes available.
