Starting on April 11, 2025, the U.S. government has announced that certain people in the United States need to register with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) using a new online form, G-325R. Registration has actually been a legal requirement under the Immigration and Nationality Act for many years, but there has not previously been a separate registration process for people not registered as part of a visa application or when admitted to the United States at the border. This new rule tightens requirements and provides a process for individuals to register online.
Who Needs to Register?
Most foreign nationals lawfully in the United States do NOT need to register using this new process, as they are already considered registered – see below for more details. However, the following people are required to register:
- People who turn 14 years old in the United States, whether previously registered or not
- Must register within 30 days of reaching the age of 14
- People in the United States for more than 30 days without a visa or Form I-94
-
- This includes some Canadians who entered via a land port of entry and were not issued an I-94 or other evidence of registration on entry. Most I-94s these days are electronic; please go to https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home, click on “Get most recent I-94,” and input your passport details. If your I-94 contains errors, please contact your HR manager or Immigration Counsel as soon as possible to obtain advice.
Who Does Not Need to Register?
- Anyone issued a U.S. nonimmigrant or immigrant visa before their last date of arrival
- Non-immigrants who were issued Form I-94 at the border/airport.
- Most I-94s these days are electronic, please go to https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home, click on “Get most recent I-94” and input your passport details. If your I-94 contains errors, please contact your HR manager or Immigration Counsel as soon as possible to obtain advice.
- Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) UNLESS turning 14 while in the United States, in which case you must register within 30 days of your 14th birthday (and also file an I-90 form for a replacement green card).
- Anyone in the United States for less than 30 days.
- Anyone who has been issued an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) on Form I-766
- Anyone in immigration removal proceedings
- Anyone with a Border Crossing Card.
- Crewmen with a valid landing permit (Form I-95/ Form I-184)
- People who were paroled into the United States under INA 212(d)(5)
- American Indians born in Canada who entered the United States under section 289 of the INA
- Members of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas who entered the United States under the Texas Band of Kickapoo Act
For People Already Registered, What Proof Should They Carry While in the United States?
Every person over the age of 18 who has been registered must at all times carry proof of their registration while in the United States.
This would include:
- Passport with Visa and I-94 for people requiring a visa,
- Passport and I-94 printout/card for people not requiring a visa who were issued an I-94 on entry
- Printout of submitted online registration confirmation for people not covered by the above
Failure to carry proof of registration is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both
What is the Process for Registering?
- Create a MyUSCIS online account at https://my.uscis.gov/, if you do not already have one. More information on how to do this can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/how-to-create-a-uscis-online-account.
- Each person must have their own individual USCIS online account.
- For children under the age of 14, parents or guardians can set up the myUSCIS accounts on the child’s behalf and in their name.
- Submit Form G-325R online
- Each person required to register must complete a separate form G-325R
- You will be required to provide some basic biographic information, 5 years of address history, information on any criminal history, family information, and explain what you have been doing since entering the United States, and what you intend to do between now and your expected departure, how long you expect to remain in the United States. If you have any concerns about how to answer any of these questions, we recommend consulting with U.S. immigration counsel prior to submitting the registration.
- USCIS will review the G-325R and other DHS records and either:
- Notify you that you have already registered
- Determine if you are required to attend a biometrics services appointment to provide fingerprints and photograph and schedule you for this appointment
- USCIS will provide proof of registration via a PDF, which must be printed out and carried with you at all times when in the United States.
What are the Penalties for Failure to Register?
- A fine of up to $5,000 or
- Imprisonment for up to six months, or
- Both of the above
What are the Penalties for False or Fraudulent Statements on a Registration?
- Criminal prosecution
- Removal from the United States
- Difficulties returning to the United States in the future
What if you change your address after registering?
All foreign nationals in the United States must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving. This can be done through your USCIS online account . See USCIS’s How to Change Your Address page for more information about updating your address.
Failure to do so is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both.
In addition, any foreign national who has failed to comply with the change-of-address notification requirements is deportable unless the alien establishes that such failure was reasonably excusable or was not willful.
