US Orders Millions of Immigrants to Register Personal Information: Here’s What You Need to Know
Millions of non-citizens living in the United States may soon be required to register with federal immigration authorities under new regulations finalised by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The rule, published in the Federal Register, establishes a nationwide registration system requiring certain foreign nationals to provide personal information, biometric data and proof of registration. It builds on an interim framework introduced in March 2025, which created a new registration form and biometric collection process.
The final rule confirms those procedures, clarifies what qualifies as valid registration and identifies the documents that meet the requirement. It also allows for fingerprinting and other measures to be expanded in future. Under Section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, most foreign nationals aged 14 and above who remain in the United States for more than 30 days are required by law to register.
Parents or guardians must register children under 14, who must then re-register with fingerprints when they reach that age. Adults must carry proof of registration at all times.
The renewed enforcement mainly affects people who have never been formally registered through the immigration system. This includes individuals who entered the country without inspection, people who arrived as children but never registered independently, and applicants whose previous immigration filings did not include biometric processing.
DHS estimates that between 2.2 million and 3.2 million people fall into these categories. Although the registration requirement has existed for decades, it has rarely been enforced.
That changed in January 2025 when an executive order instructed DHS to prioritise compliance. The department now plans to enforce penalties against those who fail to register, including fines and short-term imprisonment. While these penalties have long been available under federal law, they have seldom been used.
The new requirements do not apply to everyone. Foreign nationals who entered the United States legally, including visa holders, lawful permanent residents and people with official entry records, are generally already considered registered and do not need to take further action. However, DHS says registration does not grant lawful immigration status or protect a person from deportation.
The administration’s immigration policy has also been strengthened by recent rulings from the Supreme Court. On 25 June 2026, the Court upheld the government’s authority to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians, a decision that could affect more than one million people.
In a separate ruling, it found that asylum seekers may be turned away at ports of entry before formally submitting asylum claims. Together, the decisions give the executive branch greater authority over immigration enforcement while limiting judicial intervention.
Legal challenges to the registration system, first filed in 2025, are still before the courts and could affect how or when the policy is implemented. For now, however, the federal government is moving ahead with enforcement of a registration requirement that has existed in law for decades but has rarely been applied.
