top of page

MENU

Do I need to register?

USCIS New Alien Registration Requirement: Are You on the List?

USCIS.jpg
ARR.jpg
Image by Colin Lloyd

Form G-325R

Before you begin Form G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration), please answer some simple questions to find out if you need to register.

If you are not sure whether you need to register, this tool may help you determine whether you must register. These questions are solely intended to help you determine whether you must submit Form G-325R. This tool is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. It is not a substitute for a consultation with an attorney or an accredited representative.

The Immigration and Nationality Act requires all aliens, with limited exceptions, to apply for registration and fingerprinting if you:

  • Are 14 years old or older;

  • Were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when applying for a U.S. visa; and

  • Remain in the United States for 30 days or longer for each period of stay.

 

Parents and legal guardians of aliens under age 14 must ensure those aliens are registered. Within 30 days of reaching their 14th birthday, all previously registered aliens must apply for re-registration and fingerprinting.

After an alien registers and appears for fingerprinting (unless waived), DHS will issue evidence of registration. If you are an alien age 18 or older, you must carry and keep this evidence of registration in your personal possession at all times. If you are an unregistered alien (or previously registered alien who turns 14 years old) and you are in the United States for 30 days or longer for any period of stay, you must comply with these requirements. If you do not comply, you may face criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution, the imposition of fines, and incarceration. Please visit the Alien Registration Requirement webpage for more information on registration.

Alien Registration Requirement

On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, which directed the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that aliens comply with their duty to register with the government under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1302), and ensure that failure to comply with the registration requirement is treated as a civil and criminal enforcement priority.

Image by Colin Lloyd

The INA requires that, with limited exceptions, all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when applying for a U.S. visa and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer, must apply for registration and fingerprinting. Similarly, parents and legal guardians of aliens below the age of 14 must ensure that those aliens are registered. Within 30 days of reaching his or her 14th birthday, all previously registered aliens must apply for re-registration and to be fingerprinted.

Once an alien has registered and appeared for fingerprinting (unless waived), DHS will issue evidence of registration, which aliens over the age of 18 must carry and keep in their personal possession at all times.

Image by Colin Lloyd

It is the legal obligation of all unregistered aliens (or previously registered aliens who turn 14 years old) who are in the United States for 30 days or longer to comply with these requirements. Failure to comply may result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution, the imposition of fines, and incarceration.

Many aliens in the United States have already registered, as required by law. However, a significant number of aliens present in the United States have had no direct way to register and meet their obligation under INA 262. USCIS has established a new form, G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration), and an online process by which unregistered aliens may register and comply with the law as required by the INA.

Image by Colin Lloyd

Registration is not an immigration status, and registration documentation does not create an immigration status, establish employment authorization, or provide any other right or benefit under the INA or any other U.S. law.

The Alien Registration Requirement (ARR) Determination Tool will help you determine if you need to register. If you do not comply with the ARR, you may face criminal penalties.

Frequently asked questions

bottom of page