The Registration Requirement
Most immigrants are already registered. Here is who must file, what the penalties are, and why to get advice first.
Important: Talk to a Lawyer Before You Decide
This is general educational information, not legal advice. Registration is a decision with real consequences either way, and the right answer depends on your specific situation and history. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative BEFORE you register or decide not to. Free and low-cost help is available — see the links at the bottom of this page.
Federal law has required most noncitizens to register with the government for decades, but for a long time there was no separate process for doing it and it was rarely enforced on its own. That changed in 2025. There is now a dedicated registration process, a form for people who are not already registered, and active enforcement of the penalties. The most important thing to understand: most immigrants are already registered and do not need to file anything. This page explains who is already covered, who is not, and what to weigh before you act.
On This Page
- Most immigrants are already registered — check before you file anything
- Who must register, and the rule for children turning 14
- The risks of registering and of not registering
- Penalties: up to a $5,000 fine and six months in jail
- Carrying proof and reporting address changes
- Where to get free legal help before you decide
✅ Most People Are Already Registered
Before anything else, check whether this applies to you at all. If you are in any of the groups below, you are already registered and should NOT file Form G-325R.
- →You have a green card (lawful permanent resident, Form I-551) — you are registered.
- →You were inspected and admitted or paroled at a port of entry and received a Form I-94 or I-94W — you are registered, even if that period of admission or parole has since expired.
- →USCIS issued you an Employment Authorization Document (work permit) — you are registered.
- →You have applied for most immigration benefits and been issued an Alien Registration Number (A-number) — you are registered.
- →You hold an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before arriving, or you are in A or G status (diplomats and certain international organization staff) — you are registered or exempt.
- →Filing Form G-325R when you are already registered creates confusion in your file for no benefit. Check first.
📋 Who Actually Has to Register
The requirement reaches noncitizens age 14 and older who are in the United States for 30 days or more and have never been registered through any of the routes above.
- →The main group is people who entered the United States without inspection and have never received any document from immigration authorities — no I-94, no work permit, no A-number.
- →Children who turn 14 must re-register within 30 days of their birthday, even if they were registered earlier as a child. This applies to children who already have status too — check what your child's status requires.
- →Parents or guardians are responsible for registering children under 14 who are required to register and are not already covered.
- →Some Canadian visitors who entered by land without being issued a Form I-94 and are staying 30 days or more.
- →Form G-325R is filed online only, through a USCIS online account. It cannot be mailed or filed in person.
- →There is no fee to file Form G-325R.
⚖️ The Hard Part: Risks Run Both Ways
This is not a simple compliance question. Both registering and not registering carry real risk, which is why legal organizations uniformly recommend getting advice first rather than deciding alone.
- →If you do not register: willful failure to register is a federal misdemeanor. It can also make you deportable and can create problems for future immigration applications, including a green card or work permit.
- →If you do register: you give the government your current address and confirm your presence in the country. DHS has stated it intends to use registration information for immigration enforcement. Registration does not give you any status, protection, work authorization, or path to a benefit.
- →Registering is not an application for anything. It does not make you legal, and it will not help you get a green card. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed or running a scam.
- →The calculation is different for different people — someone with a pending application, a prior removal order, a criminal record, or a possible path to relief faces very different odds than someone with none of those. This is exactly why a consultation matters.
- →A lawyer or accredited representative can also tell you whether you are already registered, which many people do not realize they are.
⚠️ What the Penalties Actually Are
The law attaches criminal penalties to willful failure to register and to failure to carry proof.
- →Willful failure to register: a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
- →Failure to register can also make a person deportable under the immigration laws.
- →Adults who are registered must carry proof of registration at all times. Failing to carry it is a separate misdemeanor that can bring a fine and up to 30 days in jail.
- →Providing false information on a registration is a serious offense with far worse immigration consequences than the registration itself. Never guess or invent answers — if you do not know something, get help before filing.
📮 Carrying Proof and Reporting Address Changes
Registration comes with continuing obligations that apply to almost everyone, including green card holders who were never required to file G-325R.
- →If you are registered and 18 or older, carry your proof of registration — your green card, work permit, I-94, or G-325R confirmation — with you.
- →Keep the original document safe and consider carrying a copy where practical, but be aware the law requires the actual document. Ask a lawyer what is appropriate for your situation.
- →Nearly all noncitizens must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving, using Form AR-11 or the online change-of-address tool. This obligation is separate from registration and it is widely overlooked.
- →Failing to report an address change can itself carry penalties — and practically, a missed notice sent to an old address still counts as delivered, which is how people end up with removal orders issued in their absence.
- →Update your address with the immigration court too if you have a case there. Updating with USCIS does not update the court.
🤝 Get Advice Before You Decide
Do not make this decision based on a social media post, a rumor, or a notario.
- →Free and low-cost immigration legal help is available nationwide. Use the directories linked below to find a nonprofit or DOJ-accredited representative near you.
- →Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can give you legal advice. A 'notario' or immigration consultant cannot, and in the United States the title does not mean what it means in many other countries.
- →Be alert for scams around registration — anyone charging a large fee to file a free form, promising that registration leads to status, or claiming to have a special government connection is defrauding you.
- →If you are detained or an enforcement action is underway, contact a lawyer immediately rather than trying to resolve a registration question on your own.
Official Links & Resources
USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement
The official page explaining who must register and who is already registered.
Form G-325R
The registration form itself, filed online through a USCIS account.
Change of Address (Form AR-11)
Report a move to USCIS within 10 days — a separate, widely missed obligation.
NILC — Registration Requirement FAQ
Plain-language FAQ from the National Immigration Law Center.
ILRC — The New Registration Requirement
Community FAQ from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Find Free or Low-Cost Legal Help
National directory of nonprofit immigration legal services providers.