Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 262, all aliens remaining in the United States for over 30 days are required to apply for registration and fingerprinting. In his executive order titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” issued on his first day in office, President Trump reaffirmed this obligation, reminding all aliens that they must comply with their duty to register with the government under INA Section 262.
According to the INA, except in rare cases, all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when they applied for a U.S. visa and who stay in the United States for 30 days or longer, are required to apply for registration and fingerprinting. Parents and legal guardians of aliens below the age of 14 must ensure that those children are registered. Within 30 days of reaching a child’s 14th birthday, all previously registered aliens must apply for re-registration and to be fingerprinted. Individuals must register within that 30-day period, not after its expiration.
Once individuals have been registered and fingerprinted, they will receive evidence of registration by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This evidence should always be on an alien’s person if they are above 18 years of age.
To learn more about the Alien Registration Requirement, and for information on how to register, please visit the USCIS website at via the link below.
https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration