Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, immigrants need to use Form G-325R to provide certain biographic information. The government has set up Alien Registration requirements that people are obligated to follow.
There are some limited exceptions to the rule, but the Act generally requires everyone who meets the following criteria to apply for both fingerprinting and registration using this form:
- Those who are at least 14 years old
- Those who applied for a U.S. visa but were not fingerprinted and registered at that time
- Those who come to the United States for 30 days or longer, even if they periodically leave the U.S., but have repeated stays of this duration
Those who are under 14 are not necessarily exempt from this process. However, the obligation is put onto their parents and legal guardians to make sure that they are properly registered. That said, when someone turns 14, they have the next 30 days to re-register on their own.
You may need to carry your registration
For those who are 18 and older, one important thing to keep in mind is that, unless the Department of Homeland Security waives the requirement, you may need to carry your registration with you. It’s necessary for it to be in your personal possession. Anyone who was a registered alien but reached age 14 and then had to re-register, along with anyone who is already at least 18 years old, must adhere to this requirement.
One potential exemption is someone who just visits the United States on a short-term basis. For instance, a business professional who stays in the U.S. for a week of meetings may not meet the criteria because they are not going to stay for 30 days or longer. If they do, however, then they have to register as noted above.
Immigration law is always changing and can be very complicated. It’s important for all involved to know what requirements and obligations they have.