Since April 11, 2025, most noncitizens age 14 and older who have been in the U.S. more than 30 days must register with DHS under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1302 and 1305, filing Form G-325R if never previously registered, or Form AR-11 within 10 days of any address change. Failure to comply is a misdemeanor under 8 U.S.C. § 1306. As of 2026, the rule remains in effect and is being challenged in federal court.
Last updated: January 2026.
What Changed in the Registration Rule
The requirement to register isn't new. Congress wrote it into the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1940, at 8 U.S.C. § 1302, but it went largely unenforced for eight decades. That changed when DHS published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on March 12, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 11793), effective April 11, 2025. The rule followed Executive Order 14159, signed January 20, 2025, which directed DHS to enforce the INA's registration and fingerprinting provisions to the maximum extent the law allows. USCIS built a new form, G-325R, because no existing form covered people who had never registered through any other filing.
Who Has To Register
Under 8 U.S.C. § 1302, any noncitizen 14 or older who has been physically present in the U.S. for 30 days or more must register, unless already registered through another process. Parents and legal guardians register children under 14 on their behalf. Status doesn't matter here. Someone who entered without inspection, overstayed a visa, or has an old asylum filing that predates routine fingerprint collection can fall under this requirement.
Most people are already covered without doing anything new. Lawful permanent residents were registered and fingerprinted when they received their green card. Most nonimmigrant visa holders were registered on entry through Form I-94. Anyone with an A-number who has been fingerprinted by DHS at any point, whether for a green card, a visa, DACA, TPS, or an asylum application, counts as registered. Form G-325R exists for the narrower group that has never been through any of those steps.
Form G-325R vs. Form AR-11
| Form G-325R | Form AR-11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Initial registration for someone never previously registered | Reports a change of address for anyone already registered |
| Who files | Unregistered noncitizens 14+, or a parent/guardian for a younger child | Any noncitizen in the U.S., regardless of status |
| Deadline | As soon as the 30-day presence threshold is reached | Within 10 days of moving (8 U.S.C. § 1305) |
| Filing fee | None | None |
| Penalty | Misdemeanor, up to $200 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail (8 U.S.C. § 1306(a)) | Same misdemeanor penalty (8 U.S.C. § 1306(b)) |
Both forms go to USCIS, not a court, and neither one grants status or work authorization. Registering doesn't fix an out-of-status problem. It satisfies the reporting requirement and nothing more.
What Registration Actually Gets You
Nothing, in terms of status. It's a reporting obligation, not a benefit application. Once DHS processes a G-325R, it issues evidence of registration, and under 8 U.S.C. § 1304(e) every registered noncitizen 18 or older must carry that proof at all times. Leaving it at home is its own separate misdemeanor.
The Enforcement Reality So Far
DOJ has not published prosecution data specific to registration or address-reporting violations as of this writing. In practice, the risk isn't a knock on the door for a missed form. It's what surfaces later, at a green card interview, during a traffic stop that leads to an immigration check, or in a USCIS filing where an old address doesn't match current records. William J. Vasquez, founding attorney of Vasquez Law Firm and licensed to practice in North Carolina, puts it this way: clients often assume a pending USCIS case covers them, and that assumption is what gets people into trouble, because AR-11 and the underlying registration requirement run independently of any other filing already open.
Where the Rule Stands in 2026
The rule remains in effect nationwide as of this writing, and no court has issued an injunction blocking it. At least one federal lawsuit challenges it on due process grounds, and immigrant rights organizations have signaled they'll keep litigating through 2026. Anyone counting on a specific compliance deadline should check USCIS.gov directly, since litigation could change the rule's status with little notice.
Special Cases: LPRs, Asylum Seekers, DACA, TPS, and U-Visa Applicants
Green card holders never need to file G-325R. They registered when DHS issued their Form I-551 and took their fingerprints. They still owe an AR-11 within 10 days of any address change, same as everyone else.
DACA recipients registered when they filed Form I-821D and were fingerprinted for advance parole or renewal. No new filing is required unless DACA status has lapsed and biometrics were never completed. Anyone weighing a DACA renewal alongside this requirement can review our adjustment of status page for how registration interacts with a pending application.
TPS holders registered at the Form I-821 stage. The obligation that follows isn't a new G-325R, it's keeping the address current, since USCIS uses that address for TPS re-registration notices. Our TPS renewal page walks through those separate deadlines.
Asylum applicants who filed Form I-589 and completed biometrics are registered. The rare exception is someone who filed years ago, before DHS routinely fingerprinted every applicant. Our asylum applications page explains how to confirm your case includes biometrics.
U-visa applicants are typically registered through the underlying I-918 biometrics process. If your petition is still pending and you're not certain you were fingerprinted, that's worth confirming rather than assuming G-325R doesn't apply.
Anyone already in removal proceedings should coordinate a new registration filing with counsel before submitting it. A G-325R filed without full information can create a paper trail DHS raises at a bond hearing or in front of the immigration judge, and our removal defense page covers how that interacts with an open case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do green card holders need to file Form G-325R? No. Lawful permanent residents were registered and fingerprinted when their green card was issued. The AR-11 address-change rule still applies to them.
What is the penalty for missing the AR-11 deadline? Under 8 U.S.C. § 1306(b), failing to report an address change within 10 days is a misdemeanor: up to a $200 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both. There's no indication DOJ is prosecuting these in volume, but the gap can surface during a later filing.
Does registration grant work authorization or any legal status? No. Both forms are reporting requirements, not benefit applications. Filing one does not create status, does not stop unlawful presence from accruing, and does not authorize employment.
Is there a fee to file either form? No. Neither Form G-325R nor Form AR-11 carries a USCIS filing fee.
What should DACA or TPS holders do right now? Confirm the address USCIS has on file is current. Both groups already satisfied registration through their original applications; the ongoing obligation is the 10-day address update, not a new registration form.
What if I think I registered years ago but I'm not sure? Look for an A-number on any prior paperwork, including an old visa, a fingerprint appointment notice, or a prior USCIS receipt. If you can't find one, that's the specific question to bring in, rather than guessing.
If you're not sure whether you're already registered, or you've moved in the last 10 days and haven't filed an AR-11, bring your paperwork in for review before a gap in the record becomes a problem in front of USCIS or an immigration judge. William J. Vasquez and the firm's immigration team, part of our broader immigration law practice, handle registration questions alongside removal defense, asylum, and adjustment of status cases across North Carolina. YO PELEO® POR TI.