in effect
This is an interim final rule (IFR) issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 12, 2025, effective April 11, 2025, that creates a new way for non-citizens to fulfill a longstanding legal requirement to register with the federal government. It does not create any new registration obligation — that duty has existed in federal law since 1940 — but it adds a standardized online form for people who have not yet registered through any other process.
DHS has designated a new form, G-325R (Biographic Information — Registration), available immediately and free of charge through myUSCIS at my.uscis.gov, as an official registration method. After submitting the form online, registrants are scheduled for a biometrics appointment at a USCIS Application Support Center to provide fingerprints, a photograph, and a signature. Upon completing that appointment, USCIS issues a “Proof of Alien Registration” document, downloadable as a PDF, which serves as the legally required evidence of registration that registered persons 18 and older must carry at all times. The rule also expands the list of documents that count as proof of registration. DHS is separately seeking public comment on whether to add a $30 biometric services fee, but no fee applies yet.
DHS estimates 2.2 to 3.2 million non-citizens currently in the United States who have not registered through any previously recognized process — including people who entered without inspection, certain Canadian visitors who crossed at land ports without receiving a Form I-94, and anyone turning 14 while in the country — are the primary population this rule is meant to reach. Non-citizens who already hold a recognized registration document (such as a green card, Employment Authorization Document, Form I-94, or Notice to Appear) are already considered registered and do not need to take any new action, though they remain subject to existing rules requiring them to report address changes within 10 days.