I am on an H-1B with a valid I-94. Do I need to file Form G-325R?

No. Anyone issued a visa by the State Department who was admitted using it, and anyone admitted as a nonimmigrant who was issued an I-94, has already complied. Use the USCIS determination tool if you want to confirm your own position.

What counts as evidence of registration, and do I have to carry paper?

Generally your I-94, or the USCIS proof of G-325R registration. You may carry it on a mobile device that can display it, or print it. Everyone 18 and over must have it in their personal possession at all times.

My daughter turns 14 next month and she is on an H-4. Does anything happen?

Yes. Any previously registered person who turns 14 in the United States must apply to re-register and be fingerprinted within 30 days of the birthday.

Does registering give me any status or right to work?

No. USCIS states that registration is not an immigration status and does not create status, establish employment authorization, or provide any other benefit.

OfficialUSCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · Last verified 17 Aug 2026

Alien registration: you are probably already registered, but you must carry the proof

Most people who entered on a visa and have an I-94 are already registered and do not need to file anything. What does apply to nearly everyone: if you are 18 or over you must carry evidence of registration at all times, and a child who turns 14 here has 30 days to re-register.

Does this affect you?

This rule works differently for two groups. Pick the one that describes you and we will highlight it — both stay on screen either way.

You entered on a visa and have an I-94

How to check: You were issued a visa by the State Department and were admitted using it, or you hold a green card, an employment authorization document, or an I-94 from any admission.

Do you file Form G-325R: No. USCIS lists you as already registered
What you must carry: Evidence of registration at all times if you are 18 or over — your I-94 on your phone is enough
Change of address: Report to USCIS within 10 days of moving
Children turning 14 here: Must re-register within 30 days of the birthday, even though they were registered before

You were never issued a visa or an I-94

How to check: You have not applied to the State Department for a visa and hold none of the documents USCIS lists as evidence of registration.

Do you file Form G-325R: Yes, if you are 14 or over and staying 30 days or more — online, from your own USCIS account
What you must carry: The USCIS proof of registration, at all times if you are 18 or over
Change of address: Report to USCIS within 10 days of moving
Children turning 14 here: Must register within 30 days of the birthday

This is general information, not advice about your case. If your situation does not match either group cleanly, that is exactly what your designated school official is there to answer.

What changed

The registration duty in section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act is old. What is new is that it is being enforced. Executive Order 14159 of 20 January 2025 directed the Department of Homeland Security to make failure to register a civil and criminal enforcement priority; an interim final rule creating Form G-325R took effect on 11 April 2025; and on 29 June 2026 DHS published a final rule adopting it and updating the list of forms and processes that count as registration. The requirement covers people aged 14 and over who were not registered and fingerprinted when applying for a visa and who stay 30 days or longer.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

Why most readers of this page are already registered

USCIS lists who has already complied, and the list covers most people who came to the United States the ordinary way. Anyone issued an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa by the State Department who was admitted using that visa is registered. So is anyone admitted as a nonimmigrant who was issued an I-94, even if the admission period has since expired. So are lawful permanent residents, anyone holding an employment authorization document, and anyone who filed a Form I-485 and gave fingerprints, even if it was refused. If that is you, do not file Form G-325R.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

What you must carry, and this part is nearly everyone

Every registered person aged 18 or over must carry evidence of registration and keep it in their personal possession at all times. The evidence is generally the I-94, or the USCIS proof of G-325R registration for anybody who registered that way. You may satisfy this by carrying a mobile device that can display it, or by printing it. Failing to carry it is a misdemeanour carrying a fine of up to $5,000 or up to 30 days' imprisonment, or both, for each offence. Saving a copy of your I-94 to your phone is a two-minute job and it is the whole of the obligation.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

What registration is not

USCIS states it plainly: registration is not an immigration status, and registration documentation does not create a status, establish employment authorization, or give any other right or benefit. Registering does not help an application and does not fix a status problem. It is a separate duty that sits alongside whatever status you hold.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

What has not changed

The duty to register is not new — it is section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and it has been law since 1952. What changed in 2025 is that it is being enforced and that there is now a form for people who had no way to comply. Registration gives you nothing and takes nothing away: USCIS states it is not an immigration status, does not create one, does not establish work authorization and provides no other benefit. It does not affect a pending application, and it is not a step in any immigration process.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

The two cases where a family does have to act

A child who turns 14 while in the United States must re-register and be fingerprinted within 30 days of the birthday, even if they were registered before — this catches H-4 and F-2 children and their parents do not expect it. A lawful permanent resident who turns 14 re-registers by filing Form I-90 rather than G-325R. Separately, the requirement applies to each stay of 30 days or more, so a person whose situation is not covered by one of the already-registered routes should check again on each entry. Form G-325R is filed online from the individual's own USCIS account; an attorney cannot file it for you, and there is no biometrics fee.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

Where people will get caught

The commonest error is filing Form G-325R when you are already registered, which achieves nothing and puts a false statement risk in front of you for no benefit — USCIS provides a determination tool precisely so you can check first. The second is the child turning 14, which almost nobody has diarised. The third is leaving the proof at home: the carrying requirement is the one that applies to the most people and the one most likely to be broken by somebody who has fully complied with everything else. And anyone charging you a fee to file G-325R for you is worth refusing on that basis alone — attorneys and accredited representatives may not submit it on your behalf.

Source: USCIS — Alien Registration Requirement · in effect from 2025-04-11

Official

Frequently asked questions

I am on an H-1B with a valid I-94. Do I need to file Form G-325R?: No. Anyone issued a visa by the State Department who was admitted using it, and anyone admitted as a nonimmigrant who was issued an I-94, has already complied. Use the USCIS determination tool if you want to confirm your own position.
What counts as evidence of registration, and do I have to carry paper?: Generally your I-94, or the USCIS proof of G-325R registration. You may carry it on a mobile device that can display it, or print it. Everyone 18 and over must have it in their personal possession at all times.
My daughter turns 14 next month and she is on an H-4. Does anything happen?: Yes. Any previously registered person who turns 14 in the United States must apply to re-register and be fingerprinted within 30 days of the birthday.
Does registering give me any status or right to work?: No. USCIS states that registration is not an immigration status and does not create status, establish employment authorization, or provide any other benefit.