Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), all immigrant “aliens” in this country must register with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, because the enforcement of the alien registration requirement is relatively new, foreign nationals might be confused about what they need to do. You might also be concerned about what the penalties are for failure to comply and what happens when you do comply. An experienced immigration lawyer can explain the new law and how it might apply to you.
With limited exceptions, the following individuals must apply for registration with the federal government:
The alien registration requirement applies to you if you are a non-citizen who did not register when you filed your initial visa application but intend to stay in this country. The registration requirement also extends to you if you entered the country without inspection or applied for Temporary Protected Status. If you entered the country without inspection as a child or applied for immigration relief under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), you also fall under this registration requirement.
After successfully registering as an alien, you must obtain evidence of your registration from the Department of Homeland Security. Once you have registered, you should keep your proof of registration with you at all times. You can carry proof in the form of a receipt notice, confirmation of registration printed from the USCIS website, an I-94, I-797, or I-129s. If you move within the country, you should also formally report your change of address within 10 days of moving.
Formal registration does not grant you any additional immigration rights or legal status, nor does it give you the right to legally work in this country.
If you fail to register within the required time frame, you could face penalties that could affect you civilly and criminally, including misdemeanor prosecution, fines, or even jail time. Although the enforcement of the alien registration requirements is relatively new, the dedicated and compassionate attorneys at New Frontier Immigration Law have experience answering questions and guiding people through the immigration process to protect their rights. Call our trusted legal team today to receive valuable assistance and guidance during this challenging time.
Hillary Walsh is one of America’s foremost immigration attorneys — a nationally recognized advocate whose career has been built case by case, client by client, in the most challenging corners of immigration law.
For over a decade, Hillary has represented immigrants, asylum seekers, trafficking survivors, and families facing deportation in proceedings before the Ninth, Sixth, and Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeals, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and immigration courts across the country. Her legal expertise spans removal defense, asylum, VAWA, T Visa, U Visa, green cards, and naturalization — the full breadth of immigration law, with particular depth in protection-based relief for vulnerable populations.
Her work has reached the highest levels of American jurisprudence. Hillary was invited to author an amicus curiae brief for a U.S. Supreme Court case — a distinction extended to attorneys whose command of immigration law is recognized at the national level.
Hillary founded New Frontier Immigration Law in 2019 with a simple but radical belief: that every person deserves a fighting chance, and that there is a solution for every problem. That legal philosophy has guided thousands of client outcomes across Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and communities nationwide.
She doesn’t just represent clients in immigration court; she shapes how immigration law is argued, understood, and applied.
